Farmers from around Australia have committed to cutting pollution from their operations, and will be inviting peers and political representatives to do the same.
This weekend, more than 30 members of Farmers for Climate Action met in person to draw up plans for the rapidly growing advocacy group. Among them were farmers from Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and Tasmania, with most commodities represented.
Farmers for Climate Action CEO Verity Morgan-Schmidt said members wanted to protect food production for all Australians, and ensure farming viability.
“The very seasons and conditions that farmers rely on to produce our food and our fibre are becoming less predictable, and that spells trouble not only for agriculture but for anyone who needs to put food on the table,” Mrs Morgan-Schmidt said.
“Our members aren’t going to wait around and watch things worsen. They are determined to make changes on their properties that make their own operations more sustainable, and profitable in the long-term. They also want to see the broader industry, and all levels of government, doing the same because all of us have a responsibility.”
Brett Hall is a Beef cattle farmer from Tasmania. He said climate change was a pressing issue for agriculture, and as the custodians of over 50% of the Australian landmass, farmers must continue to lead by example.
“For example, the livestock industry has reduced greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 14% over the last 30 years while meat production levels have increased by more than 70% during that timeframe. The industry has also achieved a 42% reduction in emissions associated with vegetation protection and tree planting, and a 65% reduction in water use.”
“Whilst these achievements are impressive, there is much more to be done. Wider support from the public to both reduce their energy use and source renewable energy will have the most significant impact. Increased funding for Research, Development and Adoption regarding climate change has to be prioritised so that land managers can mitigate the impacts of the environmental change that farmers are experiencing now.”
Mrs Morgan-Schmidt said the organisation was planning to rapidly grow their membership and strengthen their presence in regional Australia within the next 12 months, and encouraged all farmers to get involved.
“There are opportunities here for agriculture, and this is the time when farmers should be out there, speaking up and shaping what that looks like. If we don’t speak now, then the decisions may be made for us without us.”
*Brett Hall is a farmer near Bronte Park in The Central Highlands ...
www.farmersforclimateaction.org.au
Farmers for Climate Action is an inclusive movement driven by farmers, for farmers calling for immediate action on climate change and supporting on-farm adaptation and mitigation to ensure a positive future for generations of Australian farmers.
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Comments (9)
Well done!
If they are flying to their meetings- make sure they tick ‘carbon offset’
Well, well, well, great move to grow the economy and climate action from the bottom (soil) up.
Here is a quick contribution:
http://fingerlakesbiochar.com/how-biochar-supports-the-un-sustainable-development-goals
We sincerely hope to see someone from the Tasmanian “Farmers for Climate Action” at our workshop this Saturday in Huonville, organised by the Huon Producers Network.
Still time to book for the Biochar Workshop on Saturday with Frank Strie and Andrew Taylor at the Scout Hall in Huonville. It’s the same time as the Huon Farmers’ Market.
The four hour session will cover the benefits of using biochar to increase productivity on both small gardens and broad agricultural uses. There will be demonstrations of making it with a variety of kilns.
This is a fascinating topic and one with the potential to be a big tool in the well needed arsenal to combat climate change by sequestering carbon in the soil, but also to increase our agricultural resilience in the face of climate change. Biochar reduces the need for watering and fertiliser use.
Bookings and further information here
http://huonproducers.com.au/event/biochar-workshop
Don’t worry, #2, TGC. These well-meaning fools will never be able to offset the prodigious greenhouse gas contributions your people make to the atmosphere. The brainlessly selfish will inherit the earth, including the increasing submarine portions.
John Hayward
What a good idea. Anything helps!
What we’ve discovered working on the climate issue is that the majority of people who work in primary industries and land management sectors have become absolutely convinced about the threats of climate change – because they are obviously being impacted directly and have had to try to take these growing risks into account.
This includes farmers, fisheries people, national parks managers, fire fighters and Hydro Tasmania personnel.
It’s the folk who work in cities and offices and houses of parliament that can tend to turn a blind eye to it all.
re 6, then the city folk are going to find sympathy from their food growers a little hard to get, aren’t they. They might just find that nasty differential between what the food costs and the grower gets shift to where it needs to be for the growers risk and effort to be rewarded on the same scale as those pampered city dwellers.
Shame the planet needs to be fubar’d to get there.
#6 Maybe then it is important get into those places of decision making -especially houses of parliament-those who work-or have worked in agriculture/fisheries/...the others on your list?
How many in the current Tasmanian h of p would qualify? -and should those who work in offices-or other building-bound sectors -be encouraged to spend working time in those ‘industries’ which “have become absolutely convinced about the threats of climate change – because they are obviously being impacted directly and have had to try to take these growing risks into account”. -
re 8, equally important is to get them in there in such a way as to prevent them being co-opted by the group think and forelock tugging that infests all party political occupants.
Independent is the only way to do that!