Media Release: 14 December, 2020
Glaring Gap: Inquiry pointless without climate response
Western Australian farmers have labelled the release of the Growing Australia: Inquiry into growing Australian agriculture to $100b by 2030 report, chaired by Federal Member for O’Connor, Rick Wilson MP, a grossly inadequate response to the challenges facing the sector.
Corrigin farmer and AgZero 2030 chair, Simon Wallwork said: “Climate change has already cost Western Australian farmers, with a consistent reduction of growing season rainfall of 60mm or 20 per cent growing season rainfall since 2010, and that’s at only 1.1 degrees of warming.
“At 12 kg/mm that is an opportunity cost of 720 kg/ha if it was not due to the extraordinary adaptation of farmers, but can this continue when the effects of climate change are accelerating?
“In December 2019, ABARE released a report saying farmer profits have fallen 22 per cent over the past two decades due to climate change.
“We can’t continue to pretend everything is normal, when our trajectory is telling us we’re on a path to further pain.”
Data released last week highlighted that Australian agriculture is on track to miss the $100b growth target by 2030 with a $16b shortfall, despite ongoing efforts by farmers to improve productivity in an increasingly capricious climate.
Submissions made to the parliamentary inquiry by organisations including AgZero2030, National Farmers Federation, Tasmanian Farmers & Graziers Association, Australian Forest Products Association, the Australian Farm Institute and others highlight climate change as a concern for reaching the $100b target.
CSIRO stated that climate change is already impacting on the Australian agricultural sector and will continue to do so ‘regardless of what happens to atmospheric global greenhouse gas levels.’
CSIRO added that ‘the increasing frequency and severity of extended dry spells, associated with increased unpredictability of unseasonable heatwaves and frosts, will impose a noticeable handbrake on growth in farm-gate output, particularly in southern Australia.
Mr Wallwork said: “While we welcome some of the recommendations contained within the report: notably support for a National Soil Strategy and carbon farming, without adequately addressing climate change, it completely misses the mark and is a grossly inadequate response to the biggest challenge to ever face our industry.”
“This report hasn’t been released in a vacuum” Mr Wallwork said. “Over the weekend, Australia was denied a speaking opportunity at the Global Climate Ambition Summit, highlighting our shortcomings on the world stage.
“Agriculture is an export focused industry, and our major trading partners have already endorsed Net Zero targets which raises concerns for market access of our exports if we fail to address climate change in key inquiries like this one- farmers to face the global winds of change alone.
“AgZero2030 is leading the way in supporting Western Australian agriculture to take a positive and proactive response to climate change.
“As primary producers, we’ve already dramatically improved our sustainability over recent decades and we’re calling on the government to step up, face reality and deliver a comprehensive and meaningful climate change response in line with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.
“In the wake of this inquiry led by backbenchers, the Federal Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud must demonstrate his support for a National Strategy on Climate Change and Agriculture, and in the interim commit funding to accelerate the National Climate Change and Agriculture work program.”
