Food, Farming and Financialisation: Agri-food Transformations in Australia

通过访谈和文件分析，本项目旨在研究金融化正在改变澳大利亚农业食品工业的方式。金融化——金融公司在当代经济关系中越来越多的存在——是一个越来越重要，但却鲜为人知的概念。它在食品和农业工业中的应用是最近才出现的。通过调查哪些国家和外国公司正在购买食品公司和农田，出于什么目的，以及产生了什么结果，该项目旨在确定金融化在第三种食品制度出现中的地位，并澄清澳大利亚农业食品资源的所有权和控制问题。这将为政策制定者和公众提供准确的信息，以评估农业食品投资是否加强了国家粮食安全，是否为农村社区带来了积极利益，是否符合国家投资指导方针。

Through interviews and document analysis, this project aims to examine the ways financialisation is transforming agri-food industries in Australia. Financialisation – the growing presence of financial firms in contemporary economic relations – is an increasingly important, yet poorly understood, concept. Its application to food and farming industries is very recent. By investigating which countries and foreign firms are purchasing food companies and farmlands, for what purposes, and with what outcomes, the project intends to ascertain the place of financialisation in the emergence of a third food regime and to clarify issues of ownership and control of Australia’s agri-food resources. This would provide policy-makers and the public with accurate information with which to assess whether agri-food investments strengthen national food security, provide positive benefits to rural communities, and comply with national investment guidelines.