"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today." -Malcolm X
"The only way you can predict the future is to build it." -Alan Kay

Purpose
This project was initially developed in response to the shift in the Australian 
agriculture industry to a new stage of transformation: the rise of digital 
agriculture. Reports on the future of the industry described potential scenarios 
and the current research has attempted to explore what this may mean for the 
workforce capacity and capability requirements of the Australian cotton industry. 
Building capacity in the cotton industry workforce involves equipping people 
to proactively drive change and innovation within the industry and on–farm, 
ensuring the Australian cotton industry maintains a competitive advantage in 
the future. The research presented in this report examines how people at the 
forefront of change are successfully adapting as individuals and as 
businesses to survive and thrive into the future and identify what these 
changes may mean more broadly for the future of work in the cotton 
industry.

Project Objectives and Research Aims
The objectives of the ‘Understanding and Planning for the Future Cotton Industry 
Workforce’ project were to undertake research to:
1. Provide an understanding of ‘drivers of change’ which will impact the 
future cotton industry workforce.
2. Identify the future skills required within industry and on-farm and 
prioritise the skill development areas to facilitate innovative farming 
practices.
3. Identify strategies to maximise skill development and transference of 
skills to raise employer and employee confidence and capacity in adopting 
future advances in cotton farming.
4. Assist Growers in adoption of new technologies on-farm, including 
workforce planning while implementing new technology introduction, 
transition, and maintenance periods.
5. Provide recommendations for future workforce planning considering 
impacts of ‘drivers of change’ on industry, growers, and workers.
The research aims of ‘Contextualising the Future of Work in the Cotton Industry” 
included
University of Southern Queensland | Contextualising the Future of Work in the Australian Cotton 
Industry 12
1. Understand factors influencing technology acceptance and adoption.
2. Understand grower and workforce experiences of transition that occur 
with the introduction of technology.
3. Understand entrepreneurial behaviours and the mindsets, skills and 
structures that encourage entrepreneurship or intrapreneurship within 
cotton businesses.
4. Understand the function of the knowledge network and consultants work 
in extending and influencing on-farm change.
5. Understand influences on attraction, retention, and development of 
workforce and how this occurs in adaptable businesses.
6. Identify other factors that may shape the future of work and workforce 
requirements for the Australian cotton industry.