Australia's agrifood sector has gone through an unprecedented era of change over the last 20 years. At the federal level, both Labour and Liberal (conservative) governments have pursued a neo-liberal agenda that has removed many of the props that previously supported the critically important export agricultural sector. Price supports, subsidies, market quotas, marketing boards and other traditional support mechanisms which provided much stability to the Australian rural sector have, in recent years, gradually been dismantled by governments oriented towards market mechanisms and a 'level playing field' at home and overseas. At the same time, rural communities have experienced significant decline as both the public and private sectors reduce the level of services. Further pressure on rural communities is experienced as a consequence of the growing demands from environmentalists and government agencies for the adoption of more sustainable agricultural practices. These demands find an echo in the demand from retailers 'and consumers for quality assurance programmes which guarantee the safety of food products. On top of all this are the impacts resulting from processes of globalization, which are exposing rural communities and local producers in most agricultural sectors to competition from producers half-a-world away and are leading to further decline in farm numbers and a loss of community effectiveness. Farm families with their dynamic, gendered divisions of labour are positioned