skip to content
National Farmers' Federation

Home About NFF Media Centre Policy & Issues Farm Facts Commodities Our Members

Policy & Issues

The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) is dedicated to finding innovative and effective policy solutions to the issues affecting modern Australian farming, and impacting upon Australia's productivity and agricultural production capacity.

The NFF's eight major policy pillars encompass the broad spectrum of policy and advocacy activity essential to ensuring agriculture is a sustainable and growing contributor to Australia's economic, environmental and social success.

Education and Training »

As part of a heightened focus on skills, education and training, the NFF is active in projects, partnerships and working alliances to promote agriculture as a modern, challenging and satisfying career choice, while raising awareness of modern farm activity within the broader community, and ensuring Government programs reflect the needs of rural and regional Australia.

Farm Business and Economics »

'Capacity building' policies are a priority in enabling Australia's farmers to improve their productivity and efficiency to maximise their competitiveness, both domestically and internationally.

Farm Chemicals »

The responsible use, monitoring and storage of farm chemcials is of paramount importance to Australia's farmers, and must be consistently applied across state borders in line with community expectations about safety and sound environmental management.

Natural Resource Management »

Managing and occupying 54% of Australia's landmass, Australian farmers are 'frontline environmentalists' embracing enviromentally-sustainable production techniques to deliver viable and eco-friendly farming.

Quarantine and Animal Health »

Australia's farmers are dedicated to ensuring a robust, science-based quarantine system to protect agricultural production from foreign plant and animal pests and diseases. The NFF is also unwavering in providing and pursuing improvements in the world-leading care of Australia's farm animals and in taking those high standards to our international trading partners.

Telecommunications »

Rural and regional Australians need, and are entitled to, equitable telecommunication services and service quality - and the NFF maintains a constant 'watching brief' to ensure the Australian Government meets its responsibility in guaranteeing ongoing access to both.

Trade »

Achieving new export market opportunities and reducing trade distortions within global markets through the World Trade Organisation is the NFF's top trade priority - asserting agriculture must be at the heart of any trade agreement negotiated by Australia, with the Australian Government pursuing nothing less that full and open access for all Australian agricultural products.

Workplace Relations »

The NFF represents the farming sector in relation to annual wage decisions in its capacity as an industrial association. The NFF is involved in ongoing workplace relations reform, supporting workforce deregulation and flexible workplace relations arrangements. NFF plays a major role in education programs relating to these reforms, and promotes and supports migration and training initiatives to address the chronic labour shortage in regional Australia.

Submissions to Government »

Integral to the NFF's policy and advocacy role - encompassing all eight of its major policy pillars - is the constructive advice, guidance and direction the NFF provides to the Australian Government, including lodging formal submissions.