By Carey Swan

Check your letterbox or head online to read the April/May issue of Acuity magazine, out now.

A farmer plying his trade 50 years ago would not recognise the industry of today. Machinery developments have certainly helped increase efficiencies, but the real revolution has come from harnessing data for better analysis and planning. Sholto Macpherson looks at the agritech tools ensuring farmers stay on top of inventory, field yields, animal husbandry and sustainability. And accountants couldn’t be happier, with these reporting tools also making their job more effective.

Farming, along with other businesses, is also increasingly concerned with its environmental impact. Earth Day – on 22 April – has been on the calendar since 1970. It was established in response to Union Oil’s 1969 US spill, and recent years have seen the Earth Day focus shift from pollution to climate change and biodiversity. In this issue, we take a look at businesses big and small that have implemented practical, planet-friendly changes and are making a real difference.

Australia is also exploring social and governance change, with a referendum on the Uluru Statement from the Heart looking likely later this year. Released in 2017, the Statement calls for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander views to influence the laws and policies that apply to their communities. We outline what you need to know, and the issues to be considered.

“The idea of a Voice to Parliament, and having it enshrined within the constitution, creates a system and a structure to achieve better outcomes.”

This edition of Acuity also gets opinions from financial management experts on how to manage your investment portfolio during uncertain times. We find out how to cultivate a growth mindset and, if 2023’s New Year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside, there’s a round-up of apps to help you develop and maintain good habits.

Read these stories and many more in the current issue of Acuity.