Regardless of what happens with domestic policies on carbon reduction, Australian farmers are getting on with the job of sequestering carbon through the biological process that is farming.
They can breathe a bit easier with the knowledge that the government has excluded direct farm emissions from the proposed CPRS and has made provisions for food processing plus recognition of offset opportunities. NFF will fight to ensure that these provisions will be retained in any future scheme that may emerge.
Yet obstacles remain in giving farmers recognition for the full range of positive contributions that they can deliver.
Prominent among these is the flawed international carbon accounting rules being discussed in Copenhagen this week. That is why the NFF is here.
The strong focus in Copenhagen has been about percentage reduction targets and national interests - but these are not the main game for farmers.
The main game for us is the international carbon accounting rules. We are working with other farm groups and our government negotiators trying to ensure that our farmers receive due recognition for their efforts.
This is why we need to get the rules right.
Actions that boost farm productivity and in doing so, mitigate carbon, have been entrenched in the psyche of world farmers for generations.
Through bio-sequestration which is the storage of carbon in soils and vegetation through natural photosynthesis, farmers are managing carbon as part of their everyday practices.
They do this by planting crops, encouraging healthy pastures and sustainably managing vegetation on their land to ensure that it is productive – both for today and future generations.
Farmers are acutely aware of the value of soil carbon, in improving the water holding capacity of the soils and enhancing soil health.
And it is not only through bio-sequestration that farmers are already mitigating carbon emissions.
Livestock producers are also playing their part by addressing the methane issue.
This takes the form of improved grazing and feeding systems plus genetic selection to reduce emissions.
The full extent of the environmental benefits that come from these improved production methods have hither to gone unrecognized, unappreciated, and of course unmeasured.
So how do the rules need to be changed to account for these contributions?
Firstly, the Kyoto rules exaggerate agriculture’s contribution to global warming.
The current rules treat agricultural emissions in the same way as those from a coal fired power station. They take no account of the natural carbon cycle that occurs within agriculture.
We would therefore argue that it is misleading to report that agriculture is creating 16% of Australia’s carbon emissions.
Surely, the only reasonable measure of agriculture’s carbon footprint is emission minus sequestration.
We realize that it is difficult to accurately calculate the carbon sequestration from agricultural production systems. But it is vital that we do so and that farmers are recognised for their contribution.
Secondly, global farmers are concerned about Article 3.4 of the Kyoto Protocol.
As amazing as it seems, under this article, farmers would be accountable for natural events such as drought and bushfire - events beyond anyone’s control.
This issue goes against the core principle of why the Kyoto Protocol was developed. That is – to bring about a reduction in human induced emissions.
Why then, are farmers being penalised under this treaty for natural events that are outside their control?
Thirdly, and perversely, while the rules remain as they are, the only real option open to farmers to reduce their carbon footprint is to produce less or plant trees in place of food production.
The role that planting trees plays in land systems should not be undervalued, but we must ensure that there is an appropriate balance.
The NFF is strongly engaged in the COP 15 discussions to ensure that the important role that our farmers are playing is clearly acknowledged and recognised.
We are not a lone voice. The NFF is working in cooperation with the International Federation of Agricultural Producers, who represent farmers from 83 countries. Together we are raising the issues and demonstrating the vital role farmers can play in managing carbon while maintaining our productive capacity.
We trust that logic will prevail and that country delegations put aside their differences and come together to rectify the flawed Kyoto rules and thereby empower farmers to engage.
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