AWB has a long and proud tradition of serving and supporting rural Australia for more than 150 years. We recognise the importance of supporting and actively contributing to the communities in which we live and work, and as Australia’s leading agribusiness, we are in a unique position to be able to make a difference.
Fostering our future leaders
Landmark continued its sponsorship of the Nuffield Agricultural Scholarship Program, with the 2008 Landmark Nuffield scholar studying the use of livestock in improving the diversity, health and regeneration of semi-arid rangelands during a tour of South Africa, the US and New Zealand.
For more information about the Nuffield Farming Scholarship program, go to http://www.nuffield.com.au/.
Giving back to rural communities
The business continued to play an active role in supporting the rural and regional communities in which it operates through a variety of local sponsorship programs and community grants.
AWB donated the proceeds from the dividend rounding program towards the valuable work undertaken by beyondblue in rural and regional Australia to raise community awareness of depression and support prevention and early intervention. AWB shareholders have donated more than $51,000 per annum under this program.
Landmark marked its thirty-fifth year as the major sponsor of the Western Australian Country Football Championships, and this year extended the sponsorship of country football to include sponsorship of the Landmark Australian Country Football Championships.
Industry groups
AWB and its business units sponsored a range of local grains industry groups and associations including Birchip Cropping Group, Yorke Peninsula Alkaline Soils Group, Hart Field Site Group, Southern Farming Systems, Partners in Grain, South East Premium Wheat and Barley Growers Association, Western Australian No Till Farming Association, Liebe Group and Facey Group.
Sustainability and the environment
The Landmark Rural Services business continued its participation in the Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FFI CRC). The FFI CRC develops new farming systems and plant varieties for Australia to make agriculture more productive, better adapted to drought and more sustainable in natural resource use.
The FFI CRC is a unique co-investment and integration of activities between Landmark, Meat & Livestock Australia, Grains R&D Corporation, Australian Wool Innovation and the combined research effort of six state agencies, CSIRO and four universities. Landmark plays a strategic role as the FFI CRC’s only agribusiness participant, supporting the FFI CRC’s adoption and commercialisation activities. Landmark’s investment in the FFI CRC is central to its Farm Services strategy, building the capacity of its team of professional service providers and establishing a point of difference from its competitors.
In its first year of operation, the FFI CRC achieved a number of milestones. It established and delivered EverTrainTM, an industry training program focusing on current issues, which also provides a formal accreditation path for Landmark agronomists. The FFI CRC held a series of regional harvest and delivery workshops, focusing on headline technologies and products, including newly developed varieties. Thirty-five new research and development projects were also approved for commencement in 2008-2009, including a perennial wheat research project that will involve future research collaboration with Landmark.
Sponsorship and donations
AWB reviews sponsorship opportunities during July-August each year and funding is then allocated for the next financial year, 1 October - 30 September. The allocation of sponsorship funding for the 2008-2009 financial year is now complete and new requests for sponsorship funding will only be accepted for the next financial year in July 2009.
If you have questions, please contact AWB Corporate Affairs on +61 (0)3 9209 2000.
Access a copy of the AWB sponsorship policy and guidelines (PDF 27 Kb)
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