Dairy Australia commits to climate

Dairy Australia has launched a climate change strategy, detailing its climate commitment, investment intent and priorities across research, development and extension (RD&E).

The strategy covers a range of actions to be executed over the next five years to help dairy farmers adapt and build their resilience to climate change impacts on profitability, while contributing to industry-wide sustainability targets.

Dairy Australia supports farmers with adapting to climate change via several farm programs and investments, including joint ventures DairyBio and DairyFeedbase, which focus on delivering futureproofing innovation to dairy farmers.

Dairy Australia’s climate change goals include:

• Help farmers adapt to thrive in a warmer and more unpredictable climate.
• Maintain Australia’s position in the top 10 globally for low emissions intensity.
• Embed climate action in the industry’s approach to looking after the environment.
• Invest and actively contribute to keep global warming to below 1.5°C.
   

“The launch of this strategy is a really important step for the future of Australia’s dairy industry,” Dairy Australia Managing Director Dr David Nation said. “It recognises that responding to climate change is one of our highest priorities, that farmers are experiencing impacts of climate now and that experts are saying these challenges will only increase.

“The strategy is about enabling a climate-committed Australian dairy industry with cost-effective and achievable actions. It provides a clear vision and pathway towards realising our climate goals and includes success measures for farmers to gauge how they are tracking.

“Dairy Australia’s role is critical in supporting the dairy industry to respond to the challenges and opportunities of climate change. RD&E investment and programs that help farmers adapt to climate risk and farm profitably and sustainably are integrated across our organisation. We’re focused on helping farm businesses become more resilient and thrive in a changing environment.

“Consumers and trading partners also want to know that our milk is produced with a low carbon footprint, so awareness of our proactive role in environmental stewardship is also very important and will be a key theme in our industry marketing,” Dr Nation said.

Dairy Australia’s Climate and Energy Lead Alison Kelly said the strategy had been developed with input from internal and external experts, including dairy farmers and industry bodies who are already seeing and responding to the pressures of climate change.

“The strategy prioritises our RD&E efforts across climate change adaptation, linking climate action with environmental stewardship and solutions for addressing emissions. It aligns with the goals of the Australian Dairy Industry Sustainability Framework, including a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions intensity across the dairy industry by 30% by 2030. This target has the support of the whole dairy supply chain, [which] will be critical partners investing in solutions for dairy farmers.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Savo Ilic