One thousand people from across Australia have descended on Canberra for the start of this weekend's 2020 summit.

The summit has chosen delegates from a wide cross-section of Australians to debate ideas to help the country grow and prosper in the next decade.

Some suggestions put forward so far in a special forum dedicated to future directions for rural and regional communities include the establishment of a rural futures development bank, greater rewards for farmers contributing to reducing carbon emissions, a harmonisation of regulations across State boundaries, the physical creation of more water, the creation of a national carbon commission, better linking of farmers and consumers and a national food security plan.

Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, convened the summit, calling on the nation's "best and brightest" to brainstorm issues, challenges and solutions for a better Australia.

Mr Rudd said it was "time to seize the future with both hands".

The future directions for rural and regional communities is being co-chaired by Minister for Agriculture, Tony Burke, and former deputy prime minister, Tim Fischer.

Mr Burke told the rural forum his dream is that the agricultural sector is seen in the "upper echelon" of career choices in Australia.

A series of questions is helping the forum focus on the challenges facing rural industries and communities including who the future generation of farmers will be, what can be done to enable rural communities to thrive, what can be done to maximise land use and productivity but minimise land degradation, options for dealing with marginal land and what support might be needed for farmers to deal with climate change.

National Farmers Federation president, David Crombie, Dubbo-based sheepmeat processor Roger Fletcher and last year's Rural Woman of the Year, Deb Bain, are part of the rural forum.

SOURCE: Rural Press National News Service, Parliament House Bureau, Canberra.