WEMEN salads grower Andrew Young has drawn a line in the sand over climate change – and he wants everyone to cross it and join him.
Because he is one of a growing band of producers – more than 7000 and counting – who have signed on with Farmers for Climate Action in a bid to move it to the top of farming’s social, commercial and political agendas.
Andrew and his family run a 300ha enterprise growing baby spinach, rocket, chard, cos and iceberg on contract to winter supply salad packaging companies going through to major users including McDonald’s and KFC.
“I can’t remember what first got me thinking about climate change, since it has been an important issue for such a long time,” Andrew says.
“However, I got particularly climate-minded following disappointment about a carbon tax under the Abbott Government,” he says.
So what are some of the strategies Andrew has been employing to build resilience – and how successful have they been?
“We are neutral and are aiming to create a genuine reduction in emissions,” he says.
“I have also purchased climate credits to acknowledge my own contribution to problem.
“While I feel pain for emissions, out of it comes positive action. We are investigating soil use and rotations and are also looking to electrify tractors.
“However, it is challenging to source batteries large enough. In addition to investigating tractor electrification, we are seeking to reduce our footprint per ton of produce sent out by increasing our yield.”
And does his commitment extend to renewable energy on his farm – and if so, what are the benefits?
“Yes. We have 30 kilowatts (portion of usage), which have helped reduce carbon output and our costs.
“If I could send a message about climate change to the Federal Government it would be that climate change is a top- priority problem, and we have to do whatever it takes.
“This issue is so significant that we must accept a solution will be at a cost.”
Andrew is aware of the slow, at times disjointed spread, of the climate message across rural Australia where, he says, a lot of producers are doing various bits and pieces in pursuit of the same goal – a more secure and sustainable future.
But farmers, he says, don’t have to get “their knickers in a knot” when facing the climate future.
Because, he explains, we are always going to need farmers to keep people fed.
“The farmers that are holding back acceptance are too resistant, but really, they just don’t need to focus on that side of it,” Andrew says.
“With the current economic conditions it is a bit hard for us to do that much but, as I said earlier, we are buying carbon credits to demonstrate we are dead serious – although we do hope the price of carbon will rise.
“There’s no reason not to do it, or that we can’t do it – I mean, farms have to be kept regardless.
“But farmers would also be happier to see less confusion, to see politicians chasing votes rather than making the right decisions for the right reasons.
“Initially, for two to three years, things were more vocal, but more recently there has been a significant change of attitude and I am finding people are more open minded where not all that long ago climate was on the list with religion and politics to be avoided in conversation.”
Farmers for Climate Action is a grassroots-driven initiative connecting primary industry with what it sees as the inevitable future.
Chief executive Fiona Davis says the group’s vision is “Farming Forever: farmers and our representatives are climate leaders”.
She says it is FCA’s mission to “influence Australia to adopt strong economy-wide climate policies and realise a prosperous and sustainable future, full of opportunity for farmers and farming communities”.
It’s a sweeping vision overarching perhaps the most polarising political debate in global politics, not just Australian. But Fiona says FCA sees success by a growing army of supporters taking thousands of small steps in the same direction to help drive change in the paddock.
“We are a movement of farmers, agricultural leaders and rural Australians working to influence the country to adopt strong climate policies by growing the number of farmers, farming communities and elected representatives championing ambitious action,” Fiona says.
“We connect farmers with each other and support them to advocate for, and enact, climate solutions both on and off farm.
“FCA is an independent, non-profit and non-partisan organisation that represents more than 7000 farmers across Australia, and our supporter base includes more than 35,000 Australians committed to climate action for agriculture.
“Our members and our board can be found across the country from the tropical north of Queensland to the cooler climes of Tasmania, and from the wine-growing regions of Western Australia right across to the sheep and cropping farms of New South Wales. Our staff members are spread across Australia, working remotely and from our office hubs.
“We work closely with people and organisations across the agricultural and climate sectors to find opportunities to tackle the challenge of climate change and ensure rural communities’ interests are represented and we are a member of the National Farmers’ Federation and a member of the Climate Action Network Australia.”
Fiona says FCA believes if it grows the number of farmers, their communities and their representatives, who are leading on climate-smart farming solutions and championing strong economy-wide climate policy, “we can influence governments to implement climate policies that mitigate climate change and benefit rural communities”.
That said, she insists the group is only making evidence-based decisions, informed by the best-available science.
She says they are about empowering farmers to “boldly widen the space for rural Australia to take action on climate change”.
“We are working to ensure farmers have the tools they need to remain profitable and sustainable long-term as the challenges of a changing climate, including extreme weather risk, come to bear.
“Towards this we hold events that showcase the latest in climate change and agricultural science and support others to do the same.
“Resources from our managing climate risk in agriculture forums in north-east Victoria, central-west NSW and Queensland’s Granite Belt region are available on our conferences and workshops page.
“We are developing a suite of digital and print resources to support the adoption of sustainable on-farm practices, including a climate-smart agriculture toolkit.
“We also support peer-to-peer learning opportunities and are helping farmers to connect to like-minded people and in Victoria we have held an annual climate-agriculture master class for leading farmers since 2018, and we seek to extend this program to other states and territories.”
For further details, visit farmersforclimateaction.org.au.
