Climate Change and Agriculture

Agriculture plays a key role in Australia’s success and successfully feeds scores of millions of people around the globe. It also has a key role to play in reducing the risk of dangerous climate change.

The farming sector is amongst the most vulnerable, with many communities, particularly in southern Australia, already dealing with more intense and more frequent drought and fire. Unchecked, global warming will undo agriculture’s successes.

The Climate Institute is working with proactive members of the farming community, scientists, policy makers, agribusinesses and community leaders to look at ways agriculture can get on top of the risks  posed by climate change and get ahead of the curve as the world shifts to a low-carbon ecomomy.

On the one hand, farming landscapes are, potentially, a big carbon sink. Good farm and rangeland management can make a big difference by sequestering  carbon from the air into soil, pasture and native vegetation.

On the other, agriculture is directly responsible for 15% of Australia’s national emissions load, making it the second largest emitter after energy in contributing to climate change. Add in land use, and the sector accounts for around 25% of emissions.

The challenge is to mark out a path towards a farming sector that is more productive, more resilient, more self-reliant and thoroughly climate-friendly.

The Climate Institute aims to contribute to constructive discussion on the policies, culture and knowledge needed to realise this vision.

The Rural Climate Network (RCN)

Want to keep in touch with others working on the climate challenge?

The Climate Institute finds and shares Australian and relevant news, views and information on food, farming and climate change - mitigation and adaptation.

The RCN is an ideal information source for landholders, catchment managers, policy makers, food businesses, journalists, researchers, investors, extension officers, and anyone interested in the future of the land and the food we eat in a changing climate.

RCN News Updates are e-mailed every fortnight or so, and usually contain ten to twenty short excerpts with links to full articles on agriculture and climate change.

To subscribe, or for more information, please contact Corey Watts, Regional Projects Manager This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Food & Climate Research Network (FCRN)

For information on the latest developments in Europe and around the globe, we recommend the Food and Climate Research Network, hosted by the University of Surrey, UK.

http://www.fcrn.org.uk

• The Climate Institute's Agricultural Discussion Paper, Towards Climate-Friendly Farming

• The Climate Institute's submission to the Garnaut Review on Climate Change Issues Paper 1: Land Use - Agriculture and Forestry