Australian Farm Institute

What Australian Farm Institute does

Australian Farm Institute (AFI) is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit agricultural policy research organisation founded in 2004 and headquartered in Eveleigh, NSW (Sydney). It conducts analysis on issues affecting the Australian farm sector and produces a defined set of recurring and project-based outputs: the quarterly Farm Policy Journal, the Insights newsletter, commissioned research reports, video and audio content, the John Ralph Essay Competition, AFI Events and Roundtables, and specialised research tools including the Sustainability Research Database (SR-Database) and the Comparative Database of Sustainability Tools (CODST). Its audience spans individual farmers, agribusiness corporates, peak industry bodies, federal and state policymakers, and academic researchers.

The organisation's business model combines individual and corporate membership subscriptions (with tiered pricing from entry-level individual memberships around A$33 up to corporate tiers above A$700), publication and report sales, paid roundtables and events, sponsorships, and project-based funding including federal government support for the Australian Agricultural Sustainability Framework (AASF), co-developed with the National Farmers' Federation. Recent strategic activity includes co-founding the Global Farm Policy and Food Politics Institute (GFFPI) in October 2022, the Connecting Agriculture with Country collaboration with CSIRO and Bayer in October 2025, and the 20th Anniversary "Walking the Talk" roundtable in 2024, under the leadership of Executive Director Katie McRobert. AFI operates a small core team (6+ staff) supported by a Research Advisory Committee and a Research Fellows Network established in 2019.

Name

Australian Farm Institute

Legal name

Australian Farm Institute

Website

https://farminstitute.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Australian Farm Institute is an independent, not-for-profit agricultural policy research organisation founded in 2004, producing the Farm Policy Journal, policy reports, and industry roundtables for farmers, agribusiness, peak bodies, government, and academia across Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Policy Research

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Whole-Farm Business Management & Budgeting Advisory (AFACAJAA), Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL)

Keywords

• Agricultural policy research
• Farm policy analysis
• Sustainability frameworks
• Rural economics research
• Agricultural publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees at multiple tiers: Individual (Friend $33, Subscriber from $140, Supporter from $220), Corporate (Member, Champion), and Library (from $714). Members receive publications, event discounts, and brand recognition.
2. Publication Sales: Revenue from selling Farm Policy Journal subscriptions and individual publications, available in print or electronic format.
3. Event Revenue: Conference, roundtable, and seminar registrations with member discounts available. Major events include AFI Roundtable (annual) and mid-year conferences.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from supporters. AFI is an accredited research institute and registered as a deductible gift recipient organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Australian Farm Institute conducts independent, evidence-based agricultural policy research for the Australian farming sector. It sells access to this research through peer-reviewed publications (Farm Policy Journal, Farm Institute Insights, research reports), hosts policy forums and roundtables, and provides specialised tools including a Sustainability-related Regulations Database and a Carbon Opportunity Decision Support Tool. Its offerings are delivered via tiered membership subscriptions, publication sales, event registrations, and tax-deductible donations.

Product overview

The Australian Farm Institute operates as a research and policy organization rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist of publications (the quarterly Farm Policy Journal, Farm Institute Insights newsletter, and research reports), media content (videos, webinars, and podcasts), the annual John Ralph Essay Competition, events and roundtables, and specialized research tools including the Sustainability-related Regulations Database and Carbon Opportunity Decision Support Tool (CODST). The Institute also manages the Australian Agricultural Sustainability Framework (AASF) and offers tiered membership programs. These products and services work together to deliver evidence-based agricultural policy research, analysis, and community engagement for Australian agriculture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Farm Policy Journal Quarterly peer-reviewed journal containing invited and contributed articles addressing policy issues impacting Australian agriculture, published in print and electronic format. Available to members and subscribers.
• Farm Institute Insights

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 years of evidence-based policy influence on Australian agriculture
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• CSIROmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2025Joint sponsorship of inaugural 'Connecting Agriculture with Country' experience program to connect people in agriculture with Indigenous connection to land, bringing together agricultural community with Traditional Custodians.
• BayermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2025Joint sponsorship of 'Connecting Agriculture with Country' experience program alongside CSIRO, focusing on building understanding between non-Indigenous agricultural community and those with deep Indigenous connection to land.
• Global Forum on Farm Policy and Innovation (GFFPI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022AFI is a founding member of GFFPI, an international collaboration bringing together leading agricultural policy organizations from Australia, North America, and Europe to examine shared challenges and develop evidence-based policy responses on trade, sustainability, and agricultural competitiveness.
• National Farmers' FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative development of the Australian Agricultural Sustainability Framework (AASF), funded by federal government, to communicate sustainability status and goals of Australian agriculture to markets.
• Farm Foundation (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of GFFPI, collaboration on international agricultural policy research including sustainable productivity, trade policy, and climate policy initiatives.
• Canadian Agri-Food Policy InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of GFFPI partnership examining shared challenges in agricultural policy across jurisdictions.
• Forum for the Future of Agriculture (Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of GFFPI, European partner in international agricultural policy dialogue on sustainability and trade.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Farm Foundation: US-based independent agricultural economics and policy organization and AFI's direct GFFPI founding partner. Comparable as an evidence-based, member-supported think tank focused on farm policy, sustainability and trade issues.
• Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI): Canada's independent agri-food policy institute and fellow GFFPI founding member. Mirrors AFI's model of policy research, stakeholder convening, and publications aimed at government and industry decision-makers.
• Forum for the Future of Agriculture (FFA): Europe-based platform for sustainable agriculture dialogue and fellow GFFPI founding partner. Comparable to AFI as a convening and thought-leadership body on European farm sustainability and policy.
• AgriFutures Australia: Australian statutory Rural Research and Development Corporation funding innovation and policy-relevant research across rural industries. Comparable to AFI as a domestic agricultural research and policy intermediary, though broader in scope and levy-funded.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES): Australian government's agricultural economics and forecasting agency. Operates in the same policy-research space as AFI but at much larger scale, producing official data and analysis that AFI's work complements or critiques.
• Productivity Commission: Australian government's independent review and advisory body on economic, social and environmental policy, including agricultural productivity. Comparable to AFI in producing evidence-based policy analysis, but with formal government authority.

Others

• National Farmers' Federation (NFF): Peak national body representing Australian farmers and a direct AFI partner on the AASF. Comparable as a stakeholder in agricultural policy debate, though primarily an advocacy and lobby group rather than independent research body.
• NSW Farmers Association: Largest state-level farmer association in Australia, with a director cross-represented on AFI's board. Operates adjacent to AFI in policy advocacy and farmer engagement but is membership-driven rather than research-led.
• Rural Bank (Bendigo and Adelaide Bank): Australian agribusiness-focused bank chaired by an AFI director via Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. Adjacent to AFI as a financial-services participant in rural policy dialogue, rather than a research peer.

Emerging players

• Food Agility CRC: Australian cooperative research centre focused on digital and data-driven agrifood innovation. Overlaps with AFI's interest in sustainability, ESG and farm decision support but is more technology- and data-centric.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-farm-institute-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Australian Farm Institute