As our agricultural regions experience hotter and drier weather, farmers are turning to an unexpected tool to help them adapt – lasers. Here’s what happens when farmers use lasers: Water consumption and runoff, energy consumption and irrigation time, all reduce. The area of land available for planting increases, as does farm productivity. So, how does …
Sustainable farming in Australia is a hot topic among farmers and environmental stewards alike. Our climate is changing. The way we farm must change to meet the new challenges of our hotter and drier continent. However, there are barriers. Some farmers are reluctant to move away from the practices of old if that means sacrificing …
Saffron, giant bamboo and seaweed. The exotic crops that are the future of Australian farming – and future investment opportunities for IIF coop.
Take a drive in Australia during summer and you’ll see a common sight on dairy or beef or sheep farms – animals sheltering under the few available trees. With our climate warming every year, trees play a vital role in keeping temperatures down. The temperature under a tree can be 11°C to 25°C cooler than …
Limeburners Creek is a quiet tributary of the Hastings River on the New South Wales mid north coast. Near the junction of the creek and river, sticks mark the location of an abandoned oyster farm. Near the shore, rocks have been stacked to create a rustic landing. At low tide, these rocks are exposed. Amongst …
Derek and Jess live in an inner-city apartment. At 145 square metres, it’s slightly bigger than the Australian average of 137 square metres. But not a whole lot bigger. They don’t have kids. They do have a cat named Molly. So far, nothing out of the ordinary. However, it might surprise you to learn that …
We describe IIF as share farming for the 21st century. So, what exactly is share farming? And how does our version of it differ? The earliest records of a system of share farming date back to ancient Egypt, with sharecropping contracts dating from about 600BC. Under Egyptian law (and later under Roman law), a farmer …
How is this possible? History shows that some things, whilst not immune to recession, aren’t slaves to it. One of these things is food – and by extension, farming. In the past year, the ASX200 fell 4.6% and the NYSE fell 11%. Over the same period, food prices rose an average of 9%. Food is …
This is Jemma. Jemma’s in shock. Jemma has just discovered that her superannuation is invested in some of the companies she criticises on social media.
