Australian agricultural R & D and innovation systems

Abstract

The work of Richard Florida and others links economic development with the growing creativity of large, tolerant and cosmopolitan cities. In contrast, this article documents a highly creative and innovative agrarian counterpart. Australia, unlike most countries, exports much of its farm output which, in turn, receives little public subsidy. This paper explores how cutting-edge Research and Development (R&D) and rapid innovation contribute to maintaining the sector's global competitiveness, combined with scale economies and quality control. In so doing, it queries the validity of urban-biased theories of creativity, and shows that a rural version can be equally powerful in its separate domain.