Transformative change in contemporary Australian agriculture Katrina Sinclair B Sc Agr (Sydney) M Rur Sc (UNE) A thesis submitted to Charles Sturt University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science October 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES....................................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES..................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF BOXES ..................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF ACRONYMS............................................................................................................ viii GLOSSARY .............................................................................................................................ix Certificate of Authorship............................................................................................................x Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................xi PUBLICATIONS ARISING FROM THIS RESEARCH............................................................ xii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................ xiii Chapter One Introduction..........................................................................................................1 1.1 Contemporary developed agriculture .............................................................................1 1.2 Transformation................................................................................................................2 1.3 Social-ecological systems...............................................................................................3 1.4 Resilience thinking and transition theory........................................................................4 1.5 My contribution: a focus on the processes and outcomes of transformative change for contemporary developed agriculture ...............................................................................6 1.6 Research aims................................................................................................................8 1.7 Research process...........................................................................................................8 1.8 Case study methodology ................................................................................................9 1.9 Thesis structure ............................................................................................................11 Chapter Two Transformative change in contemporary developed agriculture .......................13 2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................13 2.2 Agricultural production in contemporary Australia........................................................13 2.3 Complex adaptive systems, social-ecological systems and transformations...............20 2.3.1 Complex adaptive systems ...................................................................................21 2.3.2 Social-ecological systems .....................................................................................22 2.3.3 Transformation ......................................................................................................24 2.4 Sustainability as a tool to assess transformative change.............................................26 2.5 Resilience thinking........................................................................................................30 2.5.1 Resilience thinking and transformation .................................................................41 2.6 Transition theory ...........................................................................................................43 2.7 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................50 Chapter Three Methodology ...................................................................................................55 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................55 3.2 Qualitative research characteristics..............................................................................56 3.3 Research approach ......................................................................................................58 3.3.1 Epistemological stance: constructivism.................................................................58 3.3.2 Theoretical perspective: interpretivism..................................................................59 3.3.3 Constructivist-interpretive position ........................................................................59 3.4 Research design: case study........................................................................................61 i 3.5 The use of social theory................................................................................................63 3.5.1 Resilience thinking ................................................................................................63 3.5.2 Transition theory....................................................................................................64 3.6 Research method: in-depth interviews .........................................................................65 3.7 Data collection ..............................................................................................................67 3.7.1 Personal experience with the dairy industry..........................................................67 3.7.2 Sampling technique...............................................................................................68 3.7.3 Interview process ..................................................................................................70 3.8 Data analysis and interpretation ...................................................................................74 3.8.1 Initial processing of the raw data...........................................................................75 3.8.2 Analysis and interpretation ....................................................................................76 3.9 Methodological issues: validity and reliability ...............................................................79 3.10 Ethical considerations.................................................................................................82 Chapter Four Background to case study ................................................................................85 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................85 4.2 Australian dairy policy: from paternalism to neoliberalism ...........................................85 4.3 Australian dairy industry ...............................................................................................93 4.4 Subtropical dairy industry .............................................................................................97 4.5 Murray dairy industry ..................................................................................................102 Chapter Five Results: did deregulation transform the dairy industry?..................................107 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................107 5.2 Subtropical dairy industry ...........................................................................................109 5.2.1 Conservation phase: the Subtropical dairy industry prior to deregulation ..........109 5.2.1.1 Dairy producers and dairy production system .............................................110 5.2.1.2 Milk processing sector .................................................................................111 5.2.1.3 Dairy industry organisation ..........................................................................111 5.2.1.4 Dairy service provision.................................................................................111 5.2.1.5 The shock: change in Australian agricultural policy.....................................112 5.2.2 Preparing for the collapse phase: preparations for deregulation ........................112 5.2.2.1 Dairy producers and dairy production system .............................................113 5.2.2.2 Milk processing sector .................................................................................115 5.2.2.3 Dairy industry organisation ..........................................................................115 5.2.3 Collapse phase: the Subtropical dairy industry early post-deregulation .............116 5.2.3.1 Dairy producers and dairy production system .............................................117 5.2.3.2 Milk processing sector .................................................................................122 5.2.3.3 Dairy industry organisation ..........................................................................125 5.2.3.4 Dairy service provision.................................................................................126 5.2.4 Re-organisation phase: the Subtropical dairy industry a decade after deregulation..................................................................................................................127