Farming And Climate Change
New Zealand’s farmers are currently experiencing a severe drought that dairy farmer cooperative Fonterra warns may cost farmers $500M. The Government has been meeting with farmers this week to arrange a support package.
The effects of climate change are starting to be felt in New Zealand but it’s only a taste of things to come. Impacts include changes to rainfall patterns, more extreme weather events like flooding and droughts, and new pests and biosecurity problems. All these changes will make growing food much harder than it is now. Indeed the agriculture sector will perhaps be hit hardest of all as climate change begins to bite. This is not good for New Zealand. Agriculture plays an important part in our economy.
There’s an interesting irony here though.
Agriculture also accounts for fully half of all New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, these emissions are rising, and agricultural production is becoming less and less efficient compared to other countries. Yet agriculture will be exempt from the Government’s new emissions trading scheme untill 2013.
Intensive dairy farming is expanding rapidly and that doesn’t look like slowing in the near future. Dairy accounts for the largest portion of the agriculture sector’s emissions, as well as causing increasing issues with water shortages, water pollution and increasing fertiliser use.
Understandably the Government is now offering drought relief to farmers but perhaps the it should make it a condition of that relief that farmers take responsibility for their greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists say New Zealand can expect more extreme weather events as a result of climate change and we’re all in this together — we need an approach to reducing our national emissions that doesn’t offer some sectors special treatment.
Agriculture is very important to New Zealand and our economy, which is exactly why we need to ensure that it’s practised in a sustainable way that allows us to keep producing food for years to come. For that to happen New Zealand’s environment and place in international markets need to be looked after.
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australian response to farming and climate problems:
PM: Farmers to adapt for climate change
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23321317-11949,00.html
Franklin, Chief political correspondent | March 05, 2008
KEVIN Rudd has warned farmers they should not expect taxpayer-funded drought relief unless they agree to change their farming practices to make themselves more resilient on climate change.
And Agriculture Minister Tony Burke has flagged greater support for research on genetically modified foods to help food exporters deal with climate change and boost overseas competitiveness.
Speaking to an Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics conference in Canberra yesterday, the Prime Minister said the Exceptional Circumstances drought assistance scheme was out of date.
“The policy is based on a model of a one-in-25-year drought and assumes rainfall will return to past seasonal conditions and does not factor in climate change,” he said. “The Government wants to ensure … that any assistance provided improves the resilience of farmers and farm businesses for the future.”
Mr Rudd stressed that his Government would not walk away from struggling farmers, but said it wanted a situation in which every time a farmer contacted the Government, they would be better prepared for climate change.
ABARE chief Phillip Glyde said federal governments had spent about $3 billion on drought relief over the past 15 years. While spending had soared recently, there was little evidence that farmers were drawing on farm management deposits, a scheme under which farmers receive tax incentives to save.
“Are our drought policy settings up to the additional productivity challenges posed by climate change?” Mr Glyde said. “For me, the short answer is no.”
Mr Burke said he had discussed the EC system with state agricultural ministers last week and obtained agreement for a wide-ranging review. This would take into account the social effects on farm communities, and any changes would not apply to farmers getting EC assistance under current guidelines.
Mr Burke said the Government would offer more research grants for techniques to help farmers adapt to climate change, including the use of GM crops.
- Additional reporting: AAP