Land and Food

Of all the edible oils, only that produced from olives has had its health attributes studied in detail. For maximum nutritional benefit, an edible oil should contain minimal levels of saturated fats, especially lauric and myristic acids and minimal levels of trans fatty acids. If the oils are not to be heated repeatedly and if they contain high levels of antioxidants, they should contain omega-3 and possibly omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The fatty acid profile should be dominated by monounsaturated fatty acids. Secondary products which act as antioxidants including polyphenols, proanthocyanidins, tocopherols and carotenoids increase the shelf-life of oils, reportedly reduce cardiovascular disease and provide some anticarcinogenic properties. More research is also required, but there is evidence that phytosterols and squalene are also beneficial components of edible oils. Selection and breeding can be used to increase the desirable components of edible oils. Geographic, culture and environmental factors can influence the properties of the oil produced by crops, and methods of processing can greatly reduce the levels of health promoting components. Despite the current anti-GMO sentiments, biotechnology should be used both in the development of plant cultivars which produce nutritional oils and in processing to maximize the desirable components.

By increasing the volume and management of urban vegetation, cities
have a great opportunity to capture significant amounts of carbon dioxide. To date,
green urbanism has focused on reducing carbon emissions, but cities can also
sequester carbon, in their vegetation and soils. Here then, it is argued that
professionals in the urban sphere can learn from those in agriculture. For just as
some holistic graziers have transformed their properties to be net carbon sinks, city
planners could convert grassland parks—which currently store about 0.5 tonne of
carbon per hectare in above ground biomass—into significant carbon sinks
capable of storing up to two tonnes of carbon per hectare. Street trees, private
gardens, zoos and urban agricultural enterprises all have a part to play in reimagining
the city as a sink. Managing a city’s landscape in this way will require
new ways of vegetation management, along with community acceptance of a
different type of landscape, and critically, leadership that makes decisions in
reference to ecological needs. This paper outlines a number of agricultural
approaches to increasing carbon flows and suggests steps that cities can take to
establish landscapes that are net carbon sinks.

In both Victoria and the USA, increasing numbers of small farmers are now managing a
growing amount of land. These farmers provide diversity in ownership, landscapes and
agricultural production systems; delivering important cultural, aesthetic and
environmental values. Small farms contribute to economies by generating wealth,
providing employment and creating tourism opportunities. Small farmers can play a
significant role in helping rural communities retain businesses and services; helping to
maintain a more viable population. Larger populations also sustain community groups,
which provide social capital.1 For these reasons it is important for Victorian institutions2
to consider small farmers in program and policy development.
This report is based on a visit to the USA and reviews of two major American
investigations into small farm policy. It is intended to provide an overview of current
small farm issues in the USA and outline the potential of small farms. Discussion is also
included on how this potential may be nurtured for the benefit of Victorians.

A growing proportion of agricultural landscape in Victoria is managed by small, lifestyle landowners that derive the majority of their income from non-farming activities.  Many of these farms are located in high rainfall, high value agricultural land near-urban locations. As a key stakeholder group in future landscape management, the sector may be viewed as a potential threat or as possible allies for improved natural resource management, industry development and biosecurity. There is a need to tailor industry and environmental extension to engage the small and lifestyle farm sector. Understanding location (place) using socio-demographic and industry trends coupled with knowledge of the characteristics of the sector will provide keys to the development of appropriate practice change tools and extension approaches.

Rural landscapes are changing as many Australians are seeking rural lifestyles on small parcels of the
land around and beyond the peri-urban fringe. In Victoria small farms greatly outnumber large farms,
with clusters of small properties dominating the landscape in some areas. Off-farm work has been
associated with limited time for involvement in traditional extension programs and landcare group
work. There is poor understanding of the needs of this sector of the rural community for improved
natural resource management. We have been working with small and lifestyle farmers to improve our
understanding of the sector to develop appropriate natural resource management information pathways
and engagement strategies. The north east region of Victoria is a pilot area of the Future Family Farm
Initiative.
This paper reports progress towards developing our understanding of the needs in the small and
lifestyle farm sector and on constraints to adoption of sustainable management. We report on the
location of Victorian small farms and explore the current attitudes and opinions of the small farm sector
to natural resource management; extension delivery, resources and opportunities for conservation. A
study using focus groups, questionnaires, and secondary data analysis has been used to collect
preliminary data. This data indicates that the small and lifestyle farm sector has been largely
overlooked in mainstream industry extension activities and marginalised in some farming communities.
The sector has a strong interest in developing skills in sustainable agriculture and biodiversity. The
aesthetic attributes of small and lifestyle properties and associated biodiversity values presents a
challenge to traditional extension and skill development strategies

The social, economic and environmental benefits that can be derived from sustainable farming systems
are well known to a growing number of Australian farming families. Yet, the wider community is
generally ill informed about sustainable farming systems, despite an increasing interest in environmental
and social issues affecting our nation.
There is a need to take the next step from operating sustainable farming systems to marketing and
promoting them, and developing links between farming and non-farming populations. In practice, this
will involve partnerships with marketing and tourism organisations, conservationists, non-farming
members of rural communities and the urban community. Research and advisory organisations will need
to play a supportive role to ensure farmers have the capacity to promote their systems and to develop
appropriate partnerships. A number of strategies might be employed to ‘sell’ sustainable farming
systems, including eco labels, demonstration farms, or local food systems. Overseas experience confirms
the success of such strategies and it is likely that these will be appropriate initiatives in some parts of
Australia.
Promotion of sustainable farming systems, and improving the wider community’s understanding of this
form of agriculture, may be essential in future:
- If farmers are to keep the non-farming community’s faith in their ability to manage the land
without strict regulations, and
- To create opportunities for farm products to achieve price or market access rewards.

There is a well recognised trend of counter-urbanisation in western-nations whereby
some people move from urban areas to less populated regions. Locations that are
aesthetically pleasing and relatively close to large regional centres are most popular and
consequently northeast Victoria has a large number of small, lifestyle properties.
The overall aim of this research was to explore the factors influencing decision-making
on small, lifestyle properties in northeast Victoria and the implications of these for
natural resource management (NRM). The focus was on understanding the social
environment of landholders and the social reality that they construct. This study
involved a combination of discussion groups, interviews and observations among small,
lifestyle landholders (SLL), who were defined as people owning or managing between 2
and 50 hectares of land and deriving most income from non-farm sources.
A number of social factors were identified as influencing decisions on property
management. These included time-availability, experience, learning-sources, goals and
personal interests. The extent and variety of an individual’s networks affected these
social phenomena to some degree. In northeast Victoria, SLL were capable of, and
interested in, seeking information and they actively learned about property management.
The research indicates that, when decisions about purchasing property were not strongly
related to land stewardship, SLL gave less consideration to the environmental impacts of
their land management — at least in the short-term — than those who purchased land
with a strong stewardship ethic. Priorities for NRM actions among small, lifestyle
landholders tended to be widely-known, popular or obvious practices, such as tree planting,
pest plant and animal control, and minimising the use of synthetic chemicals.
The results of this research are relevant to people interested in the public consequences
of the management of private land, plus anyone trying to interact with these new people
in the landscape. The research has shown that SLL are not solely concerned with
property management. They have a range of competing priorities. Any consideration of
SLL’s decision-making needs to recognise these other priorities and the landholders’
broader social environments.

Rural landscapes are changing as many Australians are seeking rural lifestyles on small parcels of the land around and beyond the peri-urban fringe. In Victoria small farms greatly outnumber large farms, and clusters of small properties dominate the landscape in some areas. Off-farm work has been associated with limited time for involvement in traditional extension programs and Landcare work. There

Community profiling is a tool that aims to help practitioners collect and make use of varied data to understand the diversity of stakeholders and issues in communities where they are delivering natural resource management programs. This paper will discuss some of the problems experienced with community profiling and propose a shift in the way in which this tool is used.

Community profiling is a tool that aims to help practitioners collect and make use of varied data to understand the diversity of stakeholders and issues in communities where they are delivering natural resource management programs. This paper will discuss some of the problems experienced with community profiling and propose a shift in the way in which this tool is used.

Key Points • The Moonee Ponds Catchment Collaboration is an excellent example of working together for catchment and waterway management • The underpinning and approach and principles are transferable to other catchments • The collaboration group has determined to continue past the one year pilot phase and the group has developed priority solutions to work together on, and ideas to advocate for

Collaboration is a concept that is often talked about but not always well enacted. Organisations implementing public works are often hampered by time constraints, pre-existing ideas of what should be delivered and sometimes a mistrust of community input. On the other hand, communities can be sceptical of the government or private industry's attempts to collaborate. However in complex cases where there are no clear answers, collaboration has the potential to increase community resilience through better relationships and shared vision, and lead to innovative solutions. In the Moonee Ponds Creek catchment (Melbourne, Victoria) there have been plans to implement various public works improvements for more than 20 years. Although there are some good examples of change in the catchment, most of the ambitious ideas from the past have not been realised. In February 2017 a number of community groups, businesses, government agencies, academics and others came together to reexamine how they could work together for the benefit of the catchment. This resulted in a partnership between 18 organisations, comprised of people who recognised that no single group could change the catchment, but that collaboration would be the only way forward in a complex environment. This complexity is characterised by fragmented management responsibilities, a complicated urban form including rail and road infrastructure, poor environmental conditions in large parts of the stream, and a changing climate. Melbourne Water took a leadership role, to enable all interested parties to come together for the benefit of the catchment. The actions, or solutions, that the group chose to start collaborating on were low cost to implement and strategic in nature. Melbourne Water is considering how to use the collaborative approach in other settings.