About the IFAJ | The Star Prize | Travel Scholarship | NSW Finalists |
Previous Winners

NSW Farm Writers' is a foundation member of the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists and plays a key role in fostering global rural communication via the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists.

About the IFAJ
The IFAJ is a federation of national associations of agricultural journalists and communication specialists from around the world. The non-political, not-for-profit federation has membership covering some 30 countries embracing freedom of the press, including Australia and New Zealand.

Farm Writers is affiliated to the IFAJ through our founding membership of the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ).

The IFAJ issues a bi-monthly newsletter (subscribe free); has an active website (http://www.ifaj.org); issues an internationally recognised accreditation card and holds an annual Congress in a different country each year.

Travel Scholarship – Alltech Young Leaders in Rural Journalism Award
Following the success of an international award sponsored by Alltech which sent two journalists from South Africa and Australia to the 2006 IFAJ Congress, Alltech Australia has set up an Australian award so that a young journalist from this country can participate in the IFAJ congress each year. Each year, Farm Writers selects an outstanding young journalist working in NSW or the ACT to represent NSW and the ACT in the national final. Journalists in other states should contact their state rural media organisation or visit www.acaj.org.au.

The 2007 Alltech Australian Young Leader in Agricultural Journalism, Paul Hooper from Western Australia, attended the 2007 International Federation of Australian Journalists Congress in Japan with Alltech covering the cost of airfares and registration at the Congress. Read Paul’s account of his experience. Lucy Skuthorpe, Rural Press Canberra Bureau Chief, was the NSW/ACT finalist for the second year in a row.

The Australian recipient of the IFAJ/Alltech award in 2006 was Northern Territory Country Hour presenter Adrienne Francis and the NSW finalist was Lucy Skuthorpe, then a journalist with The Land newspaper. Download Adrienne's report on her trip.

Awards
The IFAJ also presents awards ­ including the Star Prize for rural writing. Matthew Cawood, the winner of the NSW round in 2007 and 2008, will attend the IFAJ Congress in Austria and Slovenia in September 2008.

Brochure
Download IFAJ's brochure.