Momentum is gathering around climate change action. The impact of Australia’s worst summer of bushfires, a changing political approach globally and recent discussions about net zero emissions by 2050 have again focused attention on the issue. It is therefore timely to focus on constructive, solution-based ideas, particularly in agriculture, which in Australia, is already feeling the impact of climate change.
The Crawford Fund and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) are hosting a workshop to highlight exactly what farmers can do, and are doing, to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. These innovative practices are making a difference and provide strategies that could be implemented across Australia and around the world.
The workshop is a key event coinciding with the Council meeting of the Global Research Alliance (GRA) on Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture, which is chaired by Australia represented by ACIAR. Activities of the GRA are increasingly relevant to both global and national priorities as more importance is placed on global food security and the resilience of agricultural systems.
When: Tuesday 23 March – 2.00pm-5.15pm
How: Free and online
Register: via Eventbrite
Program: available here.
The workshop, “What can farmers do? Farmer-led, science-based greenhouse gas mitigation: strategies for Australia and abroad,” will highlight what is being done by farmers in Australia to contribute to greenhouse gas reduction based on scientific knowledge. The success stories will have direct relevance to the GRA members and the developing world and to understand some of the existing scientific challenges and opportunities in both animal and cropping systems.
“We have secured an eminent panel of Australia’s leading farming, and scientific minds in this area and will be considering how Australian innovation might be used overseas,” said Dr Colin Chartres, Chief Executive Officer of the Crawford Fund.
“We want to demonstrate how agricultural and land management strategies contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions nationally and internationally, and the scientific evidence guiding farmer actions in Australia,” he said.
“Examples of which technologies and practices work at the farmer field scale; how greenhouse gas benefits are measured on-farm; and how these technologies and practices impact farm profitability will all be presented throughout the afternoon,” said Dr Chartres.
“A big picture perspective about the current scientific challenges and opportunities for greenhouse gas abatement in animal and cropping systems will provide exciting insights into the future direction in this emerging and essential future direction for Australian agriculture,” he concluded.