Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics

ABARES was established on 21 August 1945 as the Bureau of Agricultural Economics (BAE),[2] and is also involved in commercial consultancy.

The main role of ABARES is to provide "professionally independent data, research, analysis and advice that informs public and private decisions affecting Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry".

[9] Formal and regular assessments including a wider variety of productivity indicators of Australian agriculture began in the 1980s.

[16] Compared with other national agricultural and resource economics data collection agencies, ABARES is considered one of the more reliable and thorough.

Additionally, the data collected by ABARES has been used by independent researchers on several occasions to assist in accurate and reliable reporting.

[29] Agricultural forecasts are still regularly published with the aim to provide information on expected prices to help ensure that markets operate fairly, and, identify and form policy responses to emerging issues.

[32] Additionally, ABARES publish a number of series, including the Australian quarterly forecast report, Agricultural commodities ISSN 1839-5619, since September 2011).

In February 1998 the Commonwealth Ombudsman produced a report of an investigation into ABARE's external funding of climate change economic modelling.

[34] The investigation was instigated after the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) sought membership of ABARES' established GIGABARE Steering Committee.

After the waiver was declined the ACF then made a formal complaint to the Ombudsman on the basis of: As a result of the investigation the Ombudsman ruled against ABARES and concluded the GIGABARE committee was constituted by ABARE primarily as a means of raising additional revenue for these projects.

[34] As a result of the findings ABARES underwent radical restructuring which aimed to limit the possibility of corrupt or fraudulent behaviour into the future.