Charles Massy is a farmer and researcher of great importance to Australia. Charles’s ability to write about farmers and farming is perhaps enhanced by his own credentials and experience in farming. Charles’ book “Breaking the Sheep’s Back” documents the collapse of the Australian wool industry. Last year Charles completed his PhD project on Farming and […]
A farmer’s perspective on the Green Paper for a National Food Plan
Food Green Paper fails industry analysis test Nov. 29, 2012 By Patrick Francis This article first appeared on the blog of farmer Patrick Francis, and is reproduced here with his permission. For the original article please click here. Patrick is proprietor of Moffitts Farm, which is described in the following way: At Moffitts Farm we […]
Agro-ecology, Food Security, and Common sense
Agro-ecology is the common sense approach to food security “There is no agricultural challenge that we can’t solve with an agro‐ecological approach.” “The industrial mindset is the underlying psychological state that drives the development of technologies – including GM ‐ in the absence of evidence on their efficacy” In October 2012, Dr Julia Wright of […]
Union of Concerned Scientists Endorses Local Food Economies
While focused specifically on the United States, this report released in mid-2011 is highly relevant to Australia. It synthesises the existing literature on the economic benefits of food localisation, looking particularly at the job creation benefits of farmers’ markets; and the employment and financial implications of a greater demand for seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables. […]
Media release: The UN officially endorses agroecology
In an important and timely new report released March 2011, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter, has laid out a blue-print for how 9 billion people can be fed in accordance with the principles of both environmental sustainability, and social justice for the poorest people on earth.