Rural decline and innovation: issues within issues; or what role for AFBM Journal?

This paper contains my personal reflections as scientific editor of the livestock systems and technology section of the Australian Farm Business and Farming Systems Management Journal, i.e. AFBM Journal. It is the aim of this paper to highlight critical issues in defining the framework of opportunities for authors in the broad area of livestock systems and technology. The message within the description of current economic, marketing and technological conditions for farming is that only a limited proportion (about 20%) of the farming community has taken the opportunities that are available to achieve levels of profitability and efficiency sufficient to break the city: bush gap. However, when most farmers are working below profitability benchmarks, their duty of care for the environment cannot be assured while government organizations do not consider redistribution of wealth. The final reflections of the paper endeavour to find out and justify a niche for AFBM Journal.