IN THE lead up the 2025 election industry body GrainGrowers has called for political support on climate change initiatives that would better place growers to address environmental challenges.

The initiatives include national greenhouse gas reporting standards for agriculture, increased investment in scalable, low-carbon technologies and support to overcome information gaps and build technical skills in regional communities.

The GrainGrowers election asks document, Grains for Growth, Investing in Australia’s Agricultural Future details a range of focused priorities covering the environment, grain supply chains, and regional Australia.

GrainGrowers Chair Rhys Turton said in the area of climate change, a range of initiatives were required to assist growers in contributing to mitigation and adaption, support sector decarbonisation, and tap into new opportunities for innovation and growth.

The initiatives include:

• Targeted grants for critical low-carbon liquid fuel processing infrastructure.
• Leveraging government initiatives such as the National Reconstruction Fund, the
• Future Made in Australia Fund or other mechanisms to deliver a local, cleaner manufacturing base.
• Increased funding to build adaptive capacity and resilience to respond to climate change
• The streamlining and simplification of agricultural greenhouse gas accounting.
• The development of skills in regional communities to promote the uptake of sustainable practices and improve environmental performance.
• The establishment of a joint industry-government working group to develop a National Feedstock Strategy.

“To maximise the ability to adapt and innovate, growers need targeted investment. Government investment that increases practical knowledge will help build capacity and resilience and allow farmers to make better decisions around sustainability,” Mr Turton said.

“As reporting requirements increase, it’s so important that growers have streamlined and simplified GHG accounting tools.

“GrainGrowers has highlighted this repeatedly including in submissions to the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board.”

Mr Turton said it was timely to tap into the potential benefits of innovative technologies like green hydrogen and low-carbon liquid fuels.

“Our assessment is that targeted investment in areas including the development of a National Feedstock Strategy, the low-carbon liquid fuel supply chain, and through funding local domestic manufacturing of inputs such as fertiliser are all crucial opportunities for industry.”

“If government is serious about helping to position agriculture to meet future challenges, then we need to work together to move confidently into a lower-carbon future,” Mr Turton said.

Source: GrainGrowers