Faculty of Land & Food Resources - Postgraduate Conference 2007 - Dookie Campus
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Strong Global Outlook for Australian Agriculture Emphasises Need for Robust Research and Agricultural Education
Executive Director of the Australian Farm Institute, Mr Mick Keogh has opened the 2007 Melbourne School of Land and Environment Post Graduate Conference. Held in regional Victoria for the first time at Dookie Campus, the conference features research delivered by post graduate students from Australia's leading provider of education and research activities that support sustainable primary production.
The Opening Plenary session “Global Trends – fuelling a changing future in Australian Agriculture” highlighted the strong global outlook for Australia 's agricultural industries and the integral role biofuels will have in the Australian agricultural landscape. Given the positive outlook for Australian agriculture in the international landscape, robust research and agricultural education is needed to support the continuing development of Australia 's primary industries.
Mr Keogh's presentation focused on a number of key points:
- Modern history of Australian Agriculture (post World War II)
- Changing future of Australian Agriculture
- Future drivers of Australian Agriculture
Key drivers leading to the current economic climate of Australian agriculture have included:
- steadily increasing world per capita food production (increased by 30% per annum per person),
- changing food consumption patterns in developing economies (for example, China shows a decrease in cereal consumption and increase in consumption of dairy and protein food groups)
- Rapid growth of biofuel production.
Mr Keogh identified biofuel production as an area of rapid growth and competing market demand. Promotion of biofuel production in European Union and US policy have helped to increase this demand along with the increasing global oil prices Current demand levels for grain from biofuel and livestock commodity groups are equal with biofuel predicted to exceed livestock in the near future.
This new demand for grain is predicted to shift global grain supply balances, with decreasing availability, increasing demand and price. Future for agricultural production and thus demand for research and graduates is positive. This is supported by a number of key factors including positive forecasts for agricultural commodity incomes in the medium to long term future by major economic bodies including the OECD, AU and ADI.
A complete video copy of the presentation is available upon request by emailing saparker@unimelb.edu.au