Pollies must catch up to farmers and Tackle climate change
Is passionate about farming, and he reckons the sector can lead the battle against this generation’s most pressing environmental challenge
A GOOD friend of mine once commented to me some years ago that the most noble of professions were those that heal and those that teach.
As we live with and in a pandemic, there is nothing else but gratitude and admiration I can feel for our health professionals. Images from within hospitals and especially within ICU units from around the country of nurses and doctors tending to Covid patients should remind us all how important these people are. Not just to the sick but also to the extended families of those suffering.
Teachers likewise have had to adapt to Covid and pivot their skills to teach from the all too familiar classroom to an online format. Helping the next generation to develop a broad range of skills and knowledge including social interactions, continues to be tested during this pandemic but it appears to me, teachers have managed to adjust and have continued to deliver quality education outcomes.
I have always accepted fully my friends comment regarding the most noble of professions being those that heal and those that teach; it’s hard to argue with the merits of this. It did occur to me however, that I would extend the sentiment — the most noble of professions are those that heal, those that teach and those that farm.
As Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association chief executive, I, of course, have a bias view. I shouldn’t do this job if I didn’t. But objectively, I also intrinsically believe it to be true as I believe it to be true about those that heal and those that teach.
Farmers produce the food and fibre we all need every day of our lives. Farmers are the custodians of a significant proportion of our land mass inclusive of waterways (natural springs, creeks, and rivers), woodlands, fields — the natural habitat of much of our flora and fauna. Farmers understand their livelihoods are inextricably connected to the natural environment, and they understand that their
production successes (or failures), their profitability and their sustainability is linked to the health of these natural environments. Farmers are also great adaptors and innovators. Whilst politicians may argue about climate change, farmers are actively seeking out and implementing solutions now. Why, because farmers understand the mutuality that exists between what they do, how they do it, the natural environment and climate.
Farmers for Climate Action (www.farmersforclimateaction .org.au) is a great example of the initiative taken by farmers to tackle climate change from the ground up through education, advocacy, research, and partnerships.
The TFGA was proud to partner with Farmers for Climate Action to deliver the Tasmanian Climate Smart
Agriculture Conference on 1 September in Launceston.
Tasmanian farming and agriculture will need to continue to adapt to climate change as we heard during the recent conference, but we are well positioned as a state and industry to do just that; the will to do so is demonstrable among farmers and that will is perhaps the most important ingredient of all, especially if it can linked to good research, education and advocacy, areas the TFGA has expertise.
Climate change may be the biggest challenge of our time, notwithstanding the current pandemic, but I am confident farming is already positioning to be a big contributor to the solution. It would be beneficial if our politicians can catch up.