Farmers in Australia say they are adapting to the threats to food supply identified in the country's first National Climate Risk Assessment, though they stress that government support is needed to accelerate adaptation.
The assessment highlighted risks including shorter growing seasons, interruptions to supply chains caused by drought, fire, and floods, and damage to crops from extreme heat. It also pointed to fruit sunburn, poor flowering for crops dependent on cool nights, competition for water, and higher biosecurity costs. By 2050, the risk to agriculture and food systems was rated to rise from moderate to high to very high.
The report stated that agriculture's challenges could "cascade and increase risks to other systems" such as public health, food security, and regional community wellbeing. It noted that while Australia produces more food than it consumes, "it remains uncertain whether current technological improvements and uptake will be adequate to address the risks posed by future climate changes."
Farmers for Climate Action, representing about 8,500 farmers and 80,000 community supporters, said government involvement is needed. Chief executive Natalie Collard explained: "What we need now is government to match that ambition with adaptation, infrastructure, investment, and a really strong sector plan for land and agriculture."
The assessment projected that northern Australia will experience greater warming, with Queensland identified as home to 18 of the 20 most exposed regions. Shane McCarthy, president of AgForce Queensland, said: "Every producer I know, they intimately know their land — my advice to government is talk to industry, involve them in the conversation early because these guys know their land better than anybody else."
The federal government also released a National Adaptation Plan alongside the assessment. Jo Sheppard, chief executive of Queensland Farmers' Federation, said the report can guide preparedness strategies: "It's almost impossible to read this report and separate the agriculture sector from the community impacts because they're so closely connected."
Victorian Farmers' Federation president Brett Hosking called for "smarter" policies to ensure producers are supported during climate-related events such as droughts. "Make sure that our farmers have the ability to recover really quickly and be prepared for the next event, but also maintain their productivity through these challenges as well," he said.
Policy investment in biofuels was also raised. Canegrowers Queensland chief executive Dan Galligan urged governments to focus on low-carbon liquid fuels and sustainable aviation fuels. On the same day, the federal government announced an investment of US$1.1 billion to accelerate biofuel production from crops such as canola, sorghum, and sugar, with the first cleaner fuels expected to be produced by 2029.
Source: ABC News