Ever since British settlement, water rights in Australia’s north have favoured landowners over traditional owners, effectively locking Aboriginal people out of agricultural development.
The Coalition has ramped up the race to fund the Great Barrier Reef’s protection. All three major parties have promised hundreds of millions of dollars, but where from, and what will they be spent on?
Urbanisation will require massive amounts of water to sustain the livelihoods of millions expected to move into cities. This may happen at farmers’ expense.
John Newton, University of Technology Sydney and Paul Ashton, University of Technology Sydney
Australians will happily eat boat noodle soup with beef blood stirred through it or stinking tofu – but not quandongs or akudjura. Yet overcoming ‘food racism’ and eating native produce could be a powerful act of culinary reconciliation.
Sub-Saharan Africa has seen widespread economic growth since 1995. But increased agricultural productivity is needed to translate that growth into poverty reduction.
Rob Cramb, The University of Queensland and John McCarthy, Australian National University
Over the past few years many companies have committed to sustainable palm oil. But that is threatened by a growing alliance between industry and government.