Blueprint for Australian Agriculture

The Blueprint for Australian Agriculture has brought together all with an interest in, or involvement with, agriculture to help shape its future direction. Now close to finalisation, the final Blueprint will map out where we as an industry want to go and how we are going to get there.

Almost 4,000 farmers, transporters, retailers, consultants, rural businesses, agribusinesses, educators, governments, rural communities, community groups and consumers have taken part in the development of the Blueprint. After all, as the saying goes: if you eat, you're a partner in farming.

The Blueprint has given you the opportunity to have your say on the issues and challenges facing the agricultural sector and its supply chain now and in the future, and your thoughts on the opportunities and solutions to achieving a strong and sustainable future. But the work does not end there. Once the Blueprint has been launched in February 2013, it will be up to the agricultural sector and the supply chain to work together to ensure the Blueprint's goals and strategies are enacted.

The Blueprint is an initiative of the NFF with support from Westpac, Woolworths and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Thanks for your input.

From February to mid-July 2012, the NFF travelled across the country talking to farmers, the wider industry, government and community groups to seek input into the Blueprint.

During this time, the NFF conducted eight Blueprint regional forums right across the country; ran Blueprint sessions at a host of other meetings, events and conferences; staged forums for current and future industry-leaders; hosted a Blueprint forum at Parliament House for MPs and advisors; ran a Blueprint forum via the online agricultural twitter community #agchatoz; organised two Blueprint webinars; and hosted a meeting of the Blueprint advisory group.

As of July 2012, more than 3,700 people completed the online or telephone Blueprint surveys or took part in the forums and sessions across the country. The NFF, and major Blueprint partners Westpac, Woolworths and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, thank all of those who have contributed to the Blueprint for their time and input.

Putting it all together.

Following the information gathering phase of Blueprint, work continued on the development of the final Blueprint report.

From July to September 2012, the NFF and its Blueprint partners analysed all the feedback gained and developed a Blueprint: Initial Findings report. This report was presented at the NFF National Congress in Canberra on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 October and is available for you to download here. This report outlines the issues, challenges, opportunities and solutions that the Blueprint participants identified during the information gathering phase.

From 23 October to 20 November 2012, we sought your comments on the Blueprint initial findings. We thank all who chose to contribute to this Blueprint phase. And from 20 November 2012 to February 2013, we have moved into the final phase of the Blueprint development - the writing of the final document ahead of its public launch in February 2013.

The Blueprint

On Thursday 14 February the NFF launched the Blueprint. The Blueprint is available in two parts, the executive summary, and the full Blueprint report:

What happens next?

The launch of the final Blueprint report is not be the end of the road for the Blueprint. The Blueprint document will provide a starting point for the discussion of the key issues and for collaborative action on those issues that are shared across the sector.

The NFF will work with key stakeholders across the Australian agriculture sector and government to host a series of forums scheduled for 2013 onwards, designed to drive the Blueprint forward. These forums will develop specific strategies, assign responsibilities, provide resources and set timelines for the next stage of the Blueprint - the legacy phase. More information on the Blueprint forums will be provided once the details have been confirmed.

The NFF is pleased to note that Blueprint major partners Westpac and Woolworths will continue their support of the Blueprint during this next phase, along with new major partners Bayer CropScience and Syngenta Australia.

Questions?

Have a question or want to know more about the Blueprint? Contact Tony Mahar or Ruth Redfern at the NFF by phoning 02 6269 5666.

Supporters of the Blueprint

Our thanks go to major partners, Westpac, Woolworths and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, for their help in delivering the Blueprint for Australian Agriculture during 2011-12.

We also wish to thank those organisations that have assisted in the development of the Blueprint: the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Sefton & Associates, Emergent Futures, Kaliber, the Australian Farm Institute, Fairfax Agricultural Media and the 26 NFF member organisations.

From 2013 onwards, Westpac and Woolworths will be continuing their partnership with the NFF for the legacy phase of the Blueprint, along with new major partners Bayer CropScience and Syngenta Australia.