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Discussion and debate over the importance
of definitions
The choice of definition is important because
it can directly influence the administration of research and
development programs and the application of planning guidelines
or codes of practice.
In Creating
a viable farm industry in Australia What will it take?
(AHM-1A), Alexandra and Hall (1998) highlight the importance
of clearly distinguishing farm forestry from industrial plantation
forestry because " … the lumping of all forestry
together tends to blur the issues which are important to farm
forestry." They also argue that " … detailed
definitions of plantation ‘types’ are required,
not for pedantic reasons but because, by accurately recognising
the differences, polices and programs can be targeted accurately."
The full report is available at: http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/AFT/AHM-1A.doc
In Social
research to support successful farm forestry,
(2001) Pearson, Coake and Aslin. agree, adding that "
… language is important and acceptance of farm forestry
is made more difficult when it is confused with social, stakeholder
and environmental issues which relate to plantation or industrial
forestry."
In It’s
not easy being green: perceptions of the 2020 vision for plantation
forestry in Australia, (2001) Shirmer’s
social research confirmed that rural communities that felt
threatened by industrial forestry did not feel threatened
by farm forestry, or the " … development of plantations
on agricultural land owned by farmers … " They saw
farm forestry as being very different to industrial forestry
despite the similarities between the two.
In Farm
Forestry—Why is it different,
Cummine (1999), the then National Policy Director for Australian
Forest Growers, acknowledges that political forces contributed
to encouraging industry sector and government support for
particular definitions during the 1990s. He suggests that
the industrial sector, whilst initially keen to discredit
farm forestry, were nonetheless seeking to promote the idea
of a seamless link between industrial forestry and farm forestry
when funding for the National Farm Forestry Program was increased
in 1995 in the hope that they could share in the increased
funding.
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