Climate change 'big threat'

By GEORGINA BOND

Farmers received a warning from across the Tasman last week about the likely impact of climate change on agriculture.

At the Climate Change and Business conference in Auckland, Garry English, of the Western Australia Farmers Federation, urged farmers to "wake up". "Of all the threats to our industry, this is the biggest," he said.

After his workshop on land use and resource economics, English said too many farmers dismissed global warming as an environmental issue, rather than a serious issue facing the industry.

"We've been told it's a green issue in the past, but it's well beyond green. The bottom line is it's going to have a major impact on our future business."

Climate change was already starting to bite farmers in Western Australia where there was less rainfall than in the past and it was less predictable. Rising temperatures and evaporation compounded the threat to the area, which received only just enough rain to make farming viable.

English said New Zealand farmers, who received about 114cm of rainfall each year, might be able to afford to lose up to 25cm.

But any loss in Western Australia was serious, he said. "We're right near the threshold and haven't got any leeway to lose more."

Western Australia produced about 40 per cent of Australia's grain, and rainfall changes would affect not only farmers but supporting industries and Australia's export wealth.

"I'm concerned we're 50 years too late," said English. "We've known about it for more than a decade but we're still procrastinating about doing something about it."

New Zealand's Federated Farmers do not share English's anxiety. Association national board member and deputy spokesman on climate change, Don Nicolson, agreed climate change was a concern, but said he did not think it was a major issue for New Zealand farmers.

There was a lot of confusion surrounding the change in weather patterns here, he said.

"The science jury is inconclusive [on climate change] it depends who you listen to. It could take 60 to 80 years to confirm it is climate change of a more permanent nature."

However, ensuring farmers were aware of the implications of climate change was important, he said.

"We agree it's a serious issue. The environment is the biggest player in our business."

English said he was disappointed that Australia was not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.

"I am a strong supporter of Kyoto because it is the first step and only mechanism at an international level that we have to address climate change.

"It's not going to solve it all completely, but in Australia we're not even taking this first step so we're on the outer."

Australia's lack of support was contradictory, he said.

"Any hint of an external threat to a primary producer's ability to carry out their business would normally be objected to in a most strenuous fashion."

However, efforts by the different states to develop greenhouse strategies were positive, he said.

Farmers needed to be prepared to change their ways dramatically, and the longer they left it the higher the costs would be, English said.

"If we don't pick up on this we'll end up wearing the very serious implications of climate change, which will eventually mean we have to change our career full stop. It's that serious."

English admired New Zealand's early support for the Kyoto Protocol.

"The leadership shown by New Zealand is great. I hope some of this rubs off on Australia.

"What you've done has been fairly courageous as a small country showing a bit of leadership."