Farmers say conserving biodiversity is a shared responsibility

2010: International Year of Biodiversity

The launch of the ‘International Year of Biodiversity’. Biodiversity is of critical interest to farmers – since biodiversity and agriculture are interdependent and both are pivotal in addressing looming climate change and food security pressures.

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) says the challenge before the Australian Government – as with world governments – is striking the right balance between biodiversity while, at the same time, ensuring that farmers are able to increase food production by the 70% needed come 2050 to feed a projected world population of nine billion people.

“Australian farmers are crucial to conserving ecosystems,” NFF President David Crombie said. “This is reflected in Australia’s Environmental Stewardship program, currently in Phase One, which has been overwhelming embraced by farmers over the past two years.

“In fact, under the 2010 Federal Budget, we are calling on the Rudd Government to expand the Environmental Stewardship program to cover all endangered species and ecological systems listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

“Farmers are Australia’s frontline in dealing positively and proactively in managing environmental needs (see Fact Sheet below at Attachment A). When we think of complex ecosystems, natural habitats and endangered species, I don’t think people realise these national assets are literally in farmers’ backyards.

“Farm-gate environmental management is two-pronged. Firstly, sound natural resource management drives effective and efficient farm techniques, making farming viable and sustainable. Increasingly, environmentally-friendly practices are generating long-term profitability, improved drought resistance and making our resources more sustainable.

“Secondly, beyond the business, farmers are often required (by various local, state and federal laws) to lock-up large sections of their properties to preserve native vegetation… essentially having stewardship of those natural resources on behalf of all Australians.

“However, as a consequence, farmers lose the productive capacity of those areas from their properties, while incurring ongoing costs to conserve and protect the land, including pest and weed management and maintaining green corridors for wildlife conservation.

“Farmers are the first to recognise they have a duty of care to sustainably manage the environment, but they also need help when going over and beyond that duty of care. Farmers taking extra responsibility for environmental management deserve recognition of the costs involved, as well as their time and expertise in delivering sound frontline land care.

“As a nation, we have moved beyond the outdated myth that farmers are somehow divorced from the rest of the community in wanting to preserve our environment. In fact, farmers plant over 20 million trees every year just for conservation reasons, preserving the land for generations to come.

“Expanding the Environmental Stewardship program would recognise that farmers have been improving environmental sustainability on-farm and taking greater responsibility for ecological land management – delivering positive outcomes for farms, the community and the environment.”