The sale of Tasmania’s largest dairy property to a foreign-backed investment fund exposes the contradiction between the Federal Government’s food security policy and carbon offset policies.
That’s the view of Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) – the peak representative body for Australia’s dairy farmers – which has joined TasFarmers in calling out productive farmland being taken out of food production while major emitters continue purchasing offsets rather than reducing their own emissions.
ADF President Ben Bennett said the government had sent a disturbing message to Australia’s farmers by approving the Rushy Lagoon sale – that it values emissions offsets and carbon credits more than the ability to produce fresh Australian food.
“The easiest way to reduce emissions cannot simply be buying productive farmland and planting trees,” Mr Bennett said.
“Planting trees has a role to play, but it should not become a way for major emitters to keep polluting while productive Australian dairy and agricultural land disappears.”
Rushy Lagoon has for decades been a major dairy, beef and cropping enterprise, supporting Tasmania’s regional jobs, food production and local communities. The approved sale will see much of the property transition to forestry and carbon-related investment, despite widespread concerns raised by TasFarmers and the Tasmanian community.
Mr Bennett said the Federal Government cannot continue talking about strengthening Australia’s food security while approving policies that reduce Australia’s capacity to produce food.
“Australia has already lost thousands of dairy farms over recent decades.
“Every major dairy property removed from production places more pressure on processors, regional communities, food manufacturing and ultimately Australia’s food security.
“Once productive farming land is lost, it is incredibly difficult to bring it back.”
ADF said governments should be asking whether carbon policies are delivering genuine emissions reductions or simply shifting responsibility away from large industrial emitters.
“If the easiest option for large emitters is to buy offsets generated by a forestry investment fund that’s converting productive Tasmanian farmland into carbon projects, then the policy settings are wrong.
“Tasmanian farmers should not be expected to sacrifice food production so other sectors can delay investing in cleaner technology.”
Mr Bennett said Australia needed climate policy that delivers both emissions reduction and food production.
“The government must immediately overturn this decision and review policies that are removing productive farmland from food production. “Australian farmers produce food, fibre and environmental outcomes every day. Public policy should be helping them stay on the land – not selling it from under them.”