Big changes in land use are forecast, and almost recommended, as one of the key ingredients to dealing with climate change in Australia, with economist Ross Garnaut suggesting some farmers might be better off producing scrub over sheep in a future carbon economy.
In his final report of his climate change review to Government, delivered to Canberra yesterday, Professor Garnaut talks up the opportunities from biosequestration, or the storage of carbon in trees and soil.
He says future farmers will make their money from a mix of conventional commodities, storing carbon in the soil, plantations, biofuels and conservation.
He also suggests Australians might need to consider replacing the lamb roast with a roo stew, with kangaroos said to emit less methane than traditional livestock.
It is part of an overall recommendation to aim for an emissions reduction of 25pc by 2020, where he recommends agriculture be included "as soon as possible".
The focus on changing land use and the potential for biosequestration suggests farm land could help halve overall emissions in Australia, but international accounting rules for emissions would first need to change to recognise that potential.
* Extract from a full report to appear in selected Fairfax Media weekly rural newspapers.
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