28 March 2023. By AgForce CEO Michael Guerin.
The life of a farmer is often a thankless one.
The hours are long, the work is hard, and sometimes the rewards are few and far between.
Add to that ongoing criticism from anti-agriculture groups and the constant need to fend off attacks from people who don’t fully understand the industry, and you’ve got yourself a tough existence.
So, when something comes along to make things a little easier, we need to embrace it.
The State Government has now released its plan to achieve cleaner and greener food and fibre production in Queensland, charting a path to lower emissions from the agriculture industry over the next decade.
The Low Emissions Agriculture Roadmap 2022-2032 outlines a process aimed to achieve a sustainable future across five key pathways; reducing emissions from livestock, cropping and horticulture, using more renewable energy on farm, carbon farming and land management, and improving supply chains.
Designed to help Queensland agribusinesses thrive, it supports producers to achieve environmental outcomes, while enabling them to continue doing what they do best - produce the world’s best food, fibre and foliage.
Of course, our producers have already made great leaps in climate action.
Agriculture is the only industry to have tangibly reduced its emissions profile in the past 20 years, and the steps we have taken to improve our practices and care for the environment are already good news stories worthy of far greater publicity than has been afforded.
As an industry we lead the world in innovation and have a proud history of being able to lift productivity and output in an ever-changing environment to support the sustainability of our businesses and the sector as a whole.
But we must not rest on our laurels.
Through this roadmap, new technologies and best practice management will ensure ongoing progress across landscapes and supply chains, while cementing Queensland agriculture as a sustainable and globally competitive industry.
Consumers increasingly want reassurance that the food and fibre they buy has been grown in an ethical and sustainable way that supports the long-term viability of our unique landscape.
The time has come to stand up and be counted.