Time to get hands dirty in fight to protect farms, land

Farmers and the community need to trust one another and work together to tackle challenges facing the land - and outdated laws need to catch up, an expert says.

Australia's farmers and land carers are being urged to work together to simultaneously tackle a growing threat of "wicked issues".

To do this, people most exposed to the threats and those trying to combat it will have to trust each other and work together, a farming leader says.

There was no shortage of "wicked issues" facing the world, including climate change, biodiversity loss and food insecurity, World Farmers' Organisation vice-president Fiona Simson told the 2025 Landcare Australia conference on Monday.

The first woman president of the National Farmers Federation said the current approach was piecemeal and duplicative, with laws that did not integrate.

"Sometimes we look at those issues in a one-eyed way," Ms Simson said.

"We need to deal with them all at once."

Policy had not changed significantly in almost two decades and was not keeping up with increasing demands and changes, she said.

Engagement across industries and sectors could be facilitated by initiatives such as the National Farmers' Federation's Australian Agricultural Sustainability Framework, Ms Simson said.

Australia and its agricultural sector had made progress but needed to ensure climate change concerns were met with action "because we are exposed", Ms Simson said.

But the nation was further advanced in climate adaptation than some others.

"When you compare us to the rest of the world, we're pretty bloody good," she said.

"Yes, we have a long way to go ... but it's important to know and be a little bit optimistic."

Ms Simson said farmers, landcarers and the agricultural sector needed to collaborate on policy, communicate with one another and the public, and make decisions based on data and science to overcome the challenges.

Most of all, they needed to trust each other, she said.

Building trust, communicating and connecting are hoped-for outcomes of the 2025 conference on the Gold Coast.

The biennial conference is billed as the nation's largest knowledge-sharing and networking event for landcarers, highlighting the important connection between landcare and agriculture.

Topics of focus include climate adaptation, biodiversity and sustainability, nature repair, technology and innovation and Indigenous-led conservation methods.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins and Environment Minister Murray Watt are scheduled to appear at the conference.

Community groups and individuals will be recognised for their efforts in repairing the natural environment at an awards ceremony on Tuesday.

Founded in 1989, Landcare provides grant funding and educational resources to community groups, farmers and landholders and manages complex ecological restoration projects.

It includes more than 6000 community-led environmental groups and some 140,000 volunteers working to restore and protect the environment.