From vicious to virtuous cycles argues that farmers at the leading edge of sustainable, regenerative farm businesses are opening up exciting new opportunities for better economic and ecological performance in Australian agriculture. The report suggests that this requires breaking out of a vicious cycle of resource depletion that is undermining the long-term prospects of the sector. 

The condition of soil, water, and other natural resources that underpin our agricultural productivity remains largely invisible to markets, and has been systematically depleted over time. Therefore, farms have been made less resilient to drought, pests and disease, more exposed to pressure from a changing climate, and more vulnerable to financial pressures that undermine farmers' ability to invest for the long-term. It is argued that these trends are eroding the foundations for agricultural productivity, and will compromise the sectors' ability to grasp the opportunities on offer in the Asian Century.

The discussion paper, From vicious to virtuous cycles, envisions an alternate future; that is a strategic future for Australian agriculture that embraces a virtuous cycle.