Landcare and the state: 'Action at a distance' in a globalised world economy

There can be little doubt that the global restructuring of agricultural production, to the extent that it is occurring, has major implications for Australian farmers, governments and environments. Further, the emerging globalisation literature would suggest that these implications are almost universally dire - foreboding a bleak future for the nation-state, the small farmer and the health of the environment - as footloose transnational capital becomes increasingly dominant within the international economy. In sharp contradistinction stands the National Landcare Program (NLP), a program that has attracted unprecedented levels of political, community, and corporate support for the purpose of addressing problems of rural land degradation through the promotion and support of voluntary, small-scale, cooperative, self-help community Landcare groups. At a time of negative farm incomes, drought, and rural decline, Landcare provides a focus for hope and optimism that communities can come together, in partnership with state agencies, to plan their futures and manage the risks and opportunities that trends like globalisation present.

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Australiasian Food and Farming in a Globalised Economy: recent developments and future prospects

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978-0-909685-65-2

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