Farming the future: the role of government in assisting Australian farmers to adapt to the impacts of climate change

Government should invest research funding in high priority areas such as soil carbon sequestration, according to this report. The report also wants the Government to develop a strategy to capture, evaluate and disseminate farmer driven innovations such as the use of perennial grasses, holistic management grazing, engineered woodlands and other options that have a significant capacity to increase the resilience and productivity of farm enterprises.   The bipartisan report’s 15 recommendations include: • Supporting rural counselling and support groups, and placing funding for such groups on a permanent and regular basis; • Establishing a national Continuously Operating Reference Station network; • Increasing investment for research into energy efficiency in the agricultural sector; • Increasing funding for research into improving weather and climate forecasting at a seasonal and regional level; • A commitment to funding for climate change research pertaining to Australia’s agricultural industries, with attention to regional needs as well as national priorities; • Effective national coordination of the research effort; • Better integration of local and regional organisations into the overall response to climate change, including providing additional funding to local and regional organisations; • The use of targeted, industry and issue specific, incentives, to facilitate adaptation; and • Placing funding for local and regional organisations supporting adaptation upon a permanent and regular basis. Image: \u27Hay Bales\u27, the girl in the blue scarf / flick