Farming for the Future is working towards a more financially prosperous, climate-resilient and decarbonising agriculture sector in Australia.

Our Vision

Our vision is that producers are supported to evolve their farm businesses in ways that maintain and enhance the natural capital to build resilience and improve profitability.

Our Purpose

Agriculture has an integral role in Australia’s ongoing prosperity and decarbonisation. However, producers need a clear view of the costs and benefits of investing in their natural capital to support their farm management decisions.

Farming for the Future’s purpose is to provide the evidence and practical support that producers need to incorporate natural capital as part of the foundation of their farming businesses, and to activate the supply chain to encourage and reward that shift.

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Our Invitation

Farmers, ag advisors and ag accountants are invited to join in this innovative new program with Farming for the Future, in partnership with the National Farmers Federation. The team at Farming for the Future will work with you to do an on-farm assessment and collect data; to demonstrate how the natural resources of soil, waterways, productive plants, animals and ecological health can be connected and accounted for, in terms of farm productivity and profit. To enquire, find out if you’re eligible to participate, or to apply, click here.

Why Farming for the Future?

Research, evidence and tools are critical to resolving business and climate-related challenges for producers. However, governments, food and fibre companies, retailers, investors and financial Institutions all have a role to play in resolving these business challenges, and all stand to benefit from a more financially prosperous and climate-resilient agricultural sector.

Our approach is to work with producers, members of the supply chain, and other ‘partners of farmers’ to identify opportunities and build alignment. In doing this, we’ll be looking at the barriers and benefits, for each of these stakeholders, of farming that enhances natural capital and builds business resilience.

Natural capital

A major enabler of the transition towards a more financially prosperous, resilient and sustainable agricultural sector is an increase in the value of natural capital. Natural capital in agriculture refers to the natural resources that producers manage for the benefit of their businesses, their families and for future generations producers. It includes remnant native vegetation, productive pasturelands and croplands, riparian areas, water resources, agroforestry, environmental plantings and animals.

Farming for the Future intends to create the national-scale evidence that connects natural capital management and farm profitability.

Our focus areas

Research and evidence

Our research will create national, large-scale evidence examining the connection between natural capital and farm profitability.

Enabling farmers

We’ll use our research to develop resources which support Australian farmers to make changes that will benefit both their bottom line and the environment.

Collaborating with industry

We’ll engage with industry in all parts of the supply chain to develop tools and solutions that enable farmers.

Farming for the Future was founded in 2021 by The Macdoch Foundation.

“Australian farm businesses are facing growing challenges from world markets, changing consumer choices, increasing input prices and most of all, an increasingly uncertain climate.

At the same time, it is becoming clear that, as landowners, we are sitting on assets whose value we have not recognised to the appropriate extent.

My experience as an operator of grazing businesses in various parts of NSW has shown me that investing in the natural capital of our land delivers multiple benefits. It delivers better resilience against drought, it builds a reduced reliance on synthetic inputs and hence more resilient profit and, as we have discovered, an opportunity to earn further revenue from monetisation of improved ecosystem services, like improved soil carbon.

My hope is that Farming for the Future will deliver insights to allow all Australian farm businesses to maximise the potential of their natural capital and provide useful information for how these insights could help producers build more profitable, resilient businesses.”

Alasdair MacLeod

Chairman, Macdoch Foundation