Farming for the future: designing agricultural landscapes for conservation and production

Abstract

THE application of European farming practices to Australian landscapes has generated significant financial return to the nation for many decades. However, there have been substantial costs associated with these practices. These costs take the form of land degradation, loss of biological diversity and a corresponding decline in the attractiveness of rural landscapes as places in which to live. While the monetary benefits have been gradually declining over the years, the environmental costs have been mounting. In many landscapes, the point has been reached where costs threaten returns and we can no longer continue to harvest the benefits without also considering these costs.