It is clear that any lasting notion of Australian nationhood must arise from an intimate understanding of Australian ecosystems. Farmers own their own land but have few resources to develop any significant enterprises, especially any which may require innovation. Inflation over the last twenty years has had the effect of distorting where the real wealth is generated in agriculture. Increases in land values have allowed farmers to operate non-sustainable practices but have permitted them to sell the land for a profit, eventually. In the current low inflation environment, it is necessary to make profits from the farm itself in order to grow and survive.
Farmers operate the businesses of land ownership and farm production together and as one.
However, these businesses can be separately owned, such as when the farm is leased, share farmed or operated as a joint venture. These two investments attract investors with different resources and requirements. Corporations or superannuation funds with large investment portfolios may be interested in investing in rural land to balance their investment structure. Primary producers, freed from having to own land, could then invest in larger or more highly developed rural enterprises which would be able to provide the return on investment they require. There are many examples of leasing, share farming and livestock agistment in Australia today.