Partnerships
Agriculture Industry Partnerships
The Australian Government is working closely with agricultural industries across the country to address the challenges of climate change. This booklet outlines the main ways that Government-industry partnerships are continuing to ensure that the Australian agriculture sector remains strongly competitive and sustainable in the face of a changing climate.
- Agriculture Industry Partnerhips - Climate Change Action for Multiple Benefits
Greenhouse Challenge Plus
The Greenhouse Challenge Plus program is a voluntary initiative between industry and the Australian Government to abate greenhouse gas emissions. Agricultural members of this program include companies in the cropping, horticulture, viticulture and livestock industries.
Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia
In partnership with the Australian Government, the Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia has taken the lead role in raising the rice industry’s awareness of the challenges presented by climate change, and of the opportunities for addressing these as a part of improving overall performance.
- Australian Rice Growers - Meeting the Greenhouse Challenge
Landcare Australia
Landcare Australia’s involvement in Greenhouse Challenge Plus has provided a way for the Australian Government and Landcare groups to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while increasing the sustainability and productivity of Australian agriculture. Cost-effective action to reduce emissions from agriculture is a key part of national efforts to address climate change.
- Landcare Australia - Meeting the Greenhouse Challenge
Riverina Food Group
Achievements of some agricultural Greenhouse Challenge Plus members in the Riverina region of New South Wales, have been showcased in the publication Riverina Food Group: Meeting the Greenhouse Challenge. This publication was launched in Griffith in June 2004 and was received by both industry and community with a great deal of interest.
- Riverina Food Group - Meeting the Greenhouse Challenge
Progress reporting
Members of Greenhouse Challenge Plus are required to report annually on their emissions and abatement actions. This includes quantifying their greenhouse gas emissions for each year and making a comparison with estimates of previous years.
For most agricultural members involved in the Greenhouse Challenge program it was difficult to estimate on-farm emissions derived from livestock and soil sources. Other stationery energy emissions could be more easily calculated according to well-established accounting procedures developed by the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NGGI). Although NGGI estimates for nitrous oxide and methane from agriculture are based on the best available data sets they are derived from agricultural systems for completely different soils and environmental conditions. In Australia, there is limited data available to make accurate and reliable estimates from livestock and soils at the farm level, where management practices and farming systems vary considerably and are likely to make a significant difference to emissions estimates.
To improve the accuracy of progress reporting for agricultural Greenhouse Challenge Plus members, the Australian Government is:
- developing a new and more appropriate reporting procedure for on-farm emissions
- investigating technologies that will improve the measurement of the greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide from agricultural systems.
Developing bilateral relationships
The Australian Government has entered into a number of bilaterial partnerships to address greenhouse gas emissions, abatement and climate change issues.
The Australian Government is actively pursuing collaborative agricultural projects with New Zealand, China and the United States. Through sharing international expertise, these partnerships will help build capacity to develop more accurate estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, and investigate abatement strategies.
Building knowledge and promoting debate
The Australian Government is currently developing a series of reports targeting the agriculture sectors, in particular, intensive livestock, cropping, extensive livestock, horticulture and viticulture. These reports will help to:
- raise awareness among agricultural sectors of greenhouse issues
- build greenhouse knowledge within agricultural sectors
- promote and stimulate scientific debate
- provide agricultural sectors with information on which they can develop responses to greenhouse issues.
These reports will explore the potential impacts of climate change for each industry in different regions across the Australian continent and identify potential adaptive measures for each of them to remain viable subject to the impacts of climate change in future years.
