Agriculture advocacy: How can it shift from fragmented to future-fit?
- tysoncattle
- Jun 17, 2025
- 1 min read
In an increasingly noisy world, how can ag speak with a unified, consistent voice?
The changing dynamics of agricultural advocacy in Australia has caught our attention, and we're keen to explore whether industry representation is still 'fit for purpose' in a rapidly shifting political and social landscape.
With around 270 farm advocacy bodies in Australia with a combined annual spend of $400-600 million, there's no shortage of voices sticking up for ag. But how effective are they in delivering genuine policy solutions to Government?
To open up this conversation, Oli is joined by Katie McRobert, Executive Director at the Australian Farm Institute, and Tyson Cattle, a rural journalist-turned-Nuffield Scholar, currently exploring how ag advocacy is done around the world and what Australia could be doing better.
Courtesy: Humans of Agriculture.
Agriculture advocacy needs to feel connected, practical, and unified, not scattered across voices nationwide. Farmers want leadership that listens, sets clear goals, and builds trust for the future. From paddock chats to rooms, a compact tractor reflects progress when advocacy matches reality. Future fit advocacy uses data, local insight, and straight talk to influence decisions early. When agriculture speaks together, Australia stays resilient, profitable, and respected at home and abroad.