Defending the Social Licence of Farming : Issues, Challenges and New Directions for Agriculture

Issues including climate variability, water scarcity, animal welfare and declining biodiversity have led to increasing demands on farmers to conduct and communicate their farming practices so as to protect their "social licence to farm". Farmers are increasingly expected to demonstrate their social and environmental responsibility as a pre-condition to being allowed to carry out their preferred farming and commercial practices. Current examples include the restriction of the live animal export trade, battles over protection of aquifers from mining, and contests over rural carbon emissions. In Defending the Social Licence of Farming, authors from Australia, the US, Europe and Iceland document the diverse issues associated with the "social licence to farm". They provide examples of different sectors' strategies and experiences, and give specific indications of what is involved in coping successfully with this political and legal dimension of farming. This book will provide a useful stimulus for innovation and proactive policies to defend the social licence of the farm sector. KEY FEATURES * Explains why Social Licence is an important issue for the rural sector * Identifi es the international drivers that are demanding farmers demonstrate sustainable management and production of safe, clean food * Presents case studies within Australia and elsewhere * Provides recommendations for future directions