AGRICULTURE'S direct emissions must be left out of the proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) permanently, the NFF says.
If this doesn't happen, then 1.6 million Aussie jobs and $32 billion-a-year in farm exports will be at risk.
The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is petitioning key Ministers today on the issue.
"Our international partners have now declared their hands well ahead of the Copenhagen meeting in December," NFF president David Crombie says.
The US, UK, Canada and countries across Europe have already ruled out covering their direct agricultural emissions under a cap and trade system.
So Australia would be going it alone on agriculture, which is completely untenable.
As the proposed Australian CPRS legislation currently stands officially, agriculture won’t be covered until 2015 at the earliest…if at all.
“But, with the international goal posts shifting so dramatically, our Government must respond and eliminate all uncertainty around its 2015 deadline," Mr Crombie says.
This would enable farmers to proceed on an equal footing with our major trading partners.
“A level or, at least, consistent playing field is a minimum requirement for any Australian emissions trading scheme regarding the treatment of agriculture," he says.
"One size doesn’t fit all and the CPRS doesn’t work for agriculture.
“In light of international developments, the Government must eliminate agriculture from CPRS coverage and, instead, adopt an alternate, but consistent, approach of providing farmers with incentive-based means of reducing emissions.
“We believe alternatives exist that would see Australia’s 150,000 farms actively pursue even lower emission activities.
"Remember Australian farmers are already world-leaders in low emissions farm systems – while still maintaining and, indeed, growing vital food and fibre production.
"A carrot approach is a far more effective strategy than the ‘big stick’ approach and mirrors the route being taken in the US, UK, Europe and Canada.
“Australian farmers can, and should, be a positive part of the solution.
"Farms, as biological systems, emit carbon but, unlike other sectors, also absorb it back into soils, pastures, crops and trees.
"This approach we’re taking to the Government closes the gap between the global response and the CPRS.
"Due to the essential need to produce more food for a world population that will increase 50pc by 2050 – that’s nine billion mouths to feed – our international counterparts are excluding agriculture’s direct emissions from their schemes.
“Australia confronts the same food security responsibility.
“Australian farmers are willing to do more to curb emissions and the NFF has worked constructively with the Government, principally Ministers Wong and Burke, on viable options for Australia’s $103 billion-a-year farm sector."
* Farm production in Australia underpins $103 billion-a-year in economic activity, 12pc of GDP, $32 billion-a-year in exports (projected 2009-10), 1.6 million Australian jobs (over 300,000 direct on farms), and supplies 93pc of Australia’s daily food requirements.
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