23 October 2022
Farmers welcome methane pledge
Farmers for Climate Action, an organisation representing more than 7000 farmers across Australia, welcomes Australia signing on to the Global Methane Pledge.
CEO Dr Fiona Davis said farmers would benefit from Australia and the world signing on to the pledge. “Farmers are being slammed by climate-driven flooding right now, and methane accelerates climate change,” Dr Davis said.
“The gas industry should not be allowed to unbalance the climate and threaten our food supply. Gas industry lobbyists cannot be allowed to continue pretending farming is the problem. Having a local food supply is not optional.
“Claims that signing the methane pledge threatens farming need to be called out. Farmers deserve the security of a safe and stable climate in which to grow our food.
“Farm methane has been dropping while methane from the gas industry has been rising.
“Reductions in methane should come from the gas and oil industry. The Federal Government has assured us on key points, namely:
- The Federal Government’s approach does not require reducing stock numbers;
- The Federal Government will work with the oil and gas sectors and with Australia’s most polluting companies on opportunities to reduce methane; and
- The target will not be legislated nor binding.
“This is a sensible policy, and we note 122 other countries have already signed on to the pledge including huge farming nations such as the US, New Zealand, Brazil, the EU and Canada.
“Farmers across Australia, and particularly in the beef and pork sectors, are leading the way on emissions reduction and research into reducing methane. We look forward to more Federal Government assistance in developing technology in this area, such as asparagopsis feeds.”
ENDS
Farmers are available for interview:
Fergus O’Connor, beef farmer, South Gippsland, Victoria
Fergus O’Connor has halved his greenhouse gas emissions while doubling production through planting trees, using clean water, rotational grazing and multi-species pastures.
“The gas industry needs to be asked to tighten their belts rather than the mum and dad farmers who are already doing enormous sequestering of carbon, through tree planting and rotational grazing and planting of mixed pasture species which are of enormous benefit and cut emissions,” Mr O’Connor said.
Rob McCreath, beef farmer, near Deloraine, Tasmania
“Climate change is a massive threat to agriculture and methane from livestock is an issue, but we are addressing that issue. There are some great results coming from trials of feeding asparagopsis to cattle and other additives so there will be solutions very soon. I’m concerned that fossil fuels, particularly the gas industry, is using this issue to try and drag the chain on methane reduction,” Mr McCreath said.
Media contacts:
Media contact: Les White, 0409 805 122
