National Food Plan ignores climate change, says BZE

Australia’s National Food Plan, launched on 25 May, has been described by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Joe Ludwig, as a “road map for Australia’s food future”.

The plan is said to be underpinned by four key themes: growing exports, a thriving industry, people and sustainability. But Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) claims the plan still ignores the threat posed to agriculture by climate change.

Andrew Longmire, a research fellow with BZE, said the National Food Plan “downplays the impact of climate change on Australian agriculture and the large impact of agriculture on climate. The plan relies on the $1b Clean Energy Future plan for mitigation and adaptation in agriculture, which is not nearly enough.

“Revenue generated under the Clean Energy Future plan is paid back to carbon-intensive industries. These and other resources would be better spent improving the resilience of our food production systems and advancing sustainability of farming. Our national food plan missed this opportunity.”

The paper recognises that climate change could significantly reduce agricultural productivity yet proposes doubling food exports by 2030, which BZE says would rely heavily on exports of higher value, carbon-intensive animal products.

The organisation says climate change has already had significant negative impacts on agriculture and food production and has the potential to further alter conditions for agriculture in Australia. The plan therefore fails to take seriously the prospect of dramatic negative impacts on productive landscapes, nor does it look at the capacity of agriculture to mitigate climate change.

“Both of our major political parties work on a misguided premise that their current policies will be enough to reduce the great risks to our food system posed by climate change,” said Longmire.

The National Inventory Report (NIR) attributes 16% of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions to agriculture, but other sources have estimated this to be much higher. Greenhouse emissions from agriculture are particularly significant due to the high methane production of sheep and cows; reductions in methane emissions thus represent a low-cost opportunity to reduce total emissions.

BZE refers to a 2009 CSIRO study which estimates that Australia could store 140 million tonnes CO₂e (carbon dioxide equivalent) each year, or 77% of Queensland’s 2007 greenhouse emissions, by rural land use change that either stores carbon or mitigates emissions.

“The National Food Plan needs to recognise that our food system both depends on a safe climate and is also one of the biggest levers we’ve got to influence atmospheric carbon levels,” said Longmire. “We need to pay farmers a fair price, both for the quality food they produce and for their frontline role in combating climate change, and also support them with research as they see close up the effects of climate change.

“The National Food Plan barely pays lip-service to climate change emissions and mitigation. Agriculture is under direct threat from its high emissions and can play a major role in fixing the climate crisis.”

BZE is not the only organisation critical of the plan, with the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) and AUSVEG also responding negatively.

According to the AFGC, the plan contains worthy goals for boosting food exports but is “short on action”. The lack of urgency in addressing the food manufacturing sector’s competitiveness is of concern, AFGC CEO Gary Dawson said.

“The aspirations laid out in the National Food Plan will require a much bolder set of policies and actions if they are to become a reality,” Dawson said. “Given the scale and importance of food production and processing to the Australian economy, the initiatives outlined are very modest. There is little to build confidence to invest and no immediate action to tackle regulatory reform.”

AUSVEG spokesperson Hugh Gurney said the plan fails to recognise the challenges facing the Australian processed vegetable industry, which has seen a spate of closures in the past 18 months.

“We are not convinced that the plan will assist struggling growers and processing operations,” he said.

AUSVEG also criticised the lack of detail on both biosecurity measures and country of origin labelling.

The plan has, however, been welcomed by AusFoodtech, AusBiotech’s program for functional foods and nutraceuticals, due to its focus on biotechnology.

The Acting CEO of AusBiotech, Glenn Cross, said, “As an advocate for biotechnologies in the production of food, we welcome Australia’s first National Food Plan and its related initiatives. In particular, we are pleased to see the inclusion of a specific section on biotechnology.

“The plan will support Australian companies working in food technology and agricultural biotechnology to take advantage of the opportunities in global markets, especially Asia, and maximise our contribution to feeding the world’s growing population.”

A summary of the National Food Plan is available here.