Keen to be green, but farmers need help to jump knowledge gap
A new report on Australian farmers has shown a huge knowledge gap among farmers around the carbon market and climate change.
The āFarming Foreverā report released by Farmers for Climate Action on Wednesday interviewed 600 Australian farmers around climate change, the carbon market and drought.
The report found only one-in-ten farmers surveyed are active in the carbon market.
Fiona Davis from Farmers for Climate Action said the survey revealed farmers overwhelmingly want to reduce emissions but donāt know where to turn and need help.
āThe survey found 93 per cent of farmers are willing to shift to low-emissions production, but just 30 per cent have had a practical demonstration on how to do so,ā Fiona Davis from Farmers for Climate Action said.
Seventy per cent of the farmers interviewed donāt understand the carbon market, and 38 per cent donāt get involved because they donāt know how to.
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The report called for more farmer education carbon and climate, and recommends a network of dedicated carbon farming extension officers be set up to run demonstrations, field days and farm visits.
āWe see a role for government to provide support for farmers by investing in emissions reduction technologies and initiatives, such as an instant tax asset write-off for renewable energy or on-farm energy storage,ā Davis said.
Victorian cattle producer Olivia Lawson was one of the 600 farmers interviewed.
While sheās done her homework around carbon farming, sheās unsurprised that many have been left confused.
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āIām not surprised ā¦there is a lot to understand,ā she said.
āThere are a lot of risks and benefits to consider, itās certainly not straightforward.ā
For the past two decades the bull breeder has been farming biologically, eliminating synthetic fertilisers and chemicals, with the focus on improving ground cover and soil health.
āOur ultimate aim is really to leave our land in better condition than when we found it.ā
Despite being a supporter of the carbon market the Victorian producer hasnāt sought to trade carbon credits because of the cost and āunknowns.ā
āItās not something we have delved into yetā¦I donāt know whether thereās going to be much upside for us in terms of gains,ā she told AAP.
And she wants more streamlined independent information available to farmers.
āThere hasnāt been any direct line of communication where we can go to access transparent information about what it all means,ā Ms Lawson told AAP.
āI think farmers need to be rewarded more for the ecosystem services that they provide in society,ā she said.
The Farming Forever report also found a general lack of understanding among farmers around the federal governmentās five billion dollar Future Drought Fund.
Ninety per cent of respondents hadnāt accessed the fund.
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