Socioecological Challenges, Risks, and Prospects of Intensive Agricultural Development in the Northern Territory

The Australian Government White Paper, released in 2015, sets out priorities to drive growth in northern Australia by encouraging
investment in areas including agriculture and mining as the primary land uses in the region. With a growing interest in expanding intensive
agricultural development and enhancing productivity in northern Australia, serious challenges exist to the region's unique ecological and
biodiversity assets. The environment and climate in the north offer both barriers and prospects for intensive agricultural development.
However, a lack of integrated understanding of the local situations, such as land and water availability, biodiversity assets, and
environmental risks, hinders the ability of landowners to fully explore viable agricultural development opportunities while maintaining
ecological balance for high conservation values of the region. This research assesses the socioecological challenges, risks, and prospects of
intensive farming systems, mainly cotton, in the Northern Territory. The work will offer a detailed analysis of intensive farming systems in
the tropics, biodiversity mapping in and around farming areas, a detailed policy analysis of crucial farming/development- and
conservation-related regulations in the Northern Territory, and socio-economic perspectives of farmers on intensive farming in the north.
The results of this PhD project will be used to provide insight into the future development of the plant industry in the NT, inform
policymakers of gaps, stimulate the necessary dialogue to support the development of more sustainable policy measures, and provide
evidence on the trade-offs and co-benefits of broadacre crop diversification options. By providing robust scientific evidence, this research
will ultimately inform farmers and policy decision-makers on the pathways toward future sustainable plant-based industry development.