The Australian Greens have announced an eight point plan to grow Australia’s agriculture industry sustainably and prepare for a changing climate.
“The Greens agriculture plan will grow the industry sustainably, provide $100 million annual support for drought-affected communities, protect farmers’ land with a national ban on fracking, and support farmers with grants to increase production and protect land and soil,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens Agriculture and Rural Affairs spokesperson.
“We need a plan for agriculture that looks beyond the next election cycle. The effects of climate change, drought, water mismanagement, soil erosion and changing consumer preferences are all already having a huge impact on farmers and rural and regional communities.”
“The Coalition continues to sell out farmers and primary producers in favour of their corporate agribusiness mates and coal industry donors. Just look at the rampant pork barrelling and water mismanagement by Barnaby Joyce when he was agriculture and water minister.”
“Farmers and the agriculture industry are bearing the brunt of drought and a changing climate. The Greens plan provides the real solutions to the challenges that our critical agricultural industries face.”
“The Greens plan also supports the essential work of Landcare, from helping small farmers develop new land management techniques, to providing grant funding for communities to play a bigger part in caring for the land they live on.”
“The Greens secured an extra $100 million for Landcare in 2016. Now we will restore the $84 million in funding that was cut by this government.”
The Australian Greens eight-point agriculture policy includes:
- Deliver $100m a year of real support for drought affected communities
- Support farmers with grants to grow production and protect land and soil
- Reverse the cuts to Landcare funding
- Create a Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and develop a climate smart plan for our agricultural sector
- Drive the domestic carbon farming and farm forestry industries
- A national ban on all new unconventional gas projects
- Conduct a thorough review of our agricultural chemicals and food safety
- Ensure that our existing genetic regulatory regime is protected and updated for new technologies
