This report discusses the economic mechanisms by which the hundreds of billions of dollars provided annually in agricultural support contribute to increased emissions, biodiversity loss and soil nutrient imbalances. It also highlights options for alternative support policies and presents real-world examples of improved environmental outcomes stemming from agricultural support removal or reform.

This paper summarises the impact of non-tariff barriers on Australian agriculture. While agricultural tariffs have fallen in the last 30 years, non-tariff barriers have risen. Modelling highlights that these barriers equate to a 19% tariff and a multi-billion dollar burden on Australian agricultural exports, warranting strong efforts to combat their rise.

Based on the direction of China’s agricultural policies and Australia's growth in trade with China, there are potential areas for greater focus to achieve outcomes that are in the interest of both countries. At present, agricultural cooperation in the areas of biosecurity, genetics, food safety and policy development appear the most promising.

In recent years China has announced big changes to its agricultural policies - changes which are likely to have an impact on Australian agricultural exporters. ABARES recently analysed these changes and their potential implications for Australia’s beef, dairy and grains industries in a detailed report and the key insights are summarised in this briefing paper.