Agricultural policy makers and politicians are faced with rising rural welfare costs. The agricultural sector and rural communities are struggling with financial, environmental, cultural and spiritual issues in the context of attempting to achieve sustainability. However, there are some individuals and businesses achieving good returns on investment. The Landcare movement has been successful in raising awareness of many issues, such as land degradation and has been able to encourage amelioration action. Australians continue to live and to farm as Europeans in an essentially non-European environment.
Common paradigms are concerned with farm ownership and the economic necessity of exotic species.
With this level of ownership comes the notion of exclusive land ownership which can reduce the rate of change in farming systems. Exclusive ownership is not so strong in Europe, the UK, USA or Asia. Leasing, tenant farming and share-farming are also common overseas. The Australian Aboriginal people had no concept of exclusive land ownership. In fact, land ownership itself is an oxymoron from an Aboriginal point of view.