"If we want farmers to remain profitable and resilient, we must explore value creation beyond the farm gate. Agriculture cannot afford to leave that opportunity untapped."

A New South Wales livestock producer is urging Australian farmers to look beyond traditional commodity sales and explore opportunities to capture more value within their own supply chains.

Fiona Aveyard, 2023 Nuffield Scholar, has released her report "Beyond the Farm Gate: Capturing More Value in Agriculture", exploring how producers can leverage diversification, direct marketing, branding, and strategic partnerships to strengthen business resilience and profitability. Her scholarship was supported by the RAS Foundation.

Through her research, Fiona travelled to the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, France, Italy, and New Zealand, visiting farms and agri-businesses that have successfully developed value-adding enterprises. She examined models ranging from on-farm processing to vertically integrated businesses, identifying practical pathways for Australian producers to increase their share of the consumer dollar.

“Agricultural businesses often have more control over their product than they realise,” Fiona says. “By developing unique offerings, building strong brands, and forging direct relationships with consumers, farmers can diversify income streams, reduce reliance on volatile commodity markets, and keep more value in their regions.”

Her report outlines the importance of having a clear business vision and market position, and of developing strong supply chain relationships to secure consistent quality and volume. She explores how harnessing provenance, storytelling, and consumer trust can help differentiate products, while also underlining the need to understand regulations, logistics, and investment requirements before expanding.

Fiona emphasises that while value-adding can deliver strong rewards, it requires careful planning, market knowledge, and the right skills to execute successfully. “This is not about replacing existing enterprises — it’s about complementing them with ventures that allow farmers to capture more of the value they create,” she explains.

Fiona will present her findings at the 2025 Nuffield National Conference in Adelaide, South Australia, 9–10 September.

Her full report is available now on the Nuffield Australia website.

Interested in hearing more research from returning scholars? Join us in Adelaide for the 2025 Nuffield National Conference, where more than 30 scholars will present their findings.

Registrations are now open via the Nuffield Australia website.