Climate change and agriculture

Australian farmers produce 93% of all the food we eat in Australia - plus we export a massive 61% of our total agriculture production overseas.

Exporting grain

Loading grain for export

Agriculture is an important part of the Australian economy, accounting for 16% of our merchandise exports.¹ Census data from 2006 reveals that 76,269 people in NSW are employed directly in agriculture, forestry or fisheries-related jobs.²

Sheep during drought

Some facts:

Despite the worst drought on record, in 2006-07 Australia's farm exports earned the country $27.6 billion.
Agriculture contributed 12% of total NSW emissions in 2005.³
Livestock emissions were 14.5 megatonnes (or million tonnes, Mt) CO₂-e, representing 78% of the agricultural sector's emissions and 9% of total NSW emissions.
Agricultural soils and rice cultivation contributed the remaining 3% of agricultural emissions in NSW.

See the latest figures at: http://ageis.climatechange.gov.au/

Left - pasture; Middle - cotton; Right - cattle

Left: Mixed pasture. Middle: Cotton crop. Right: Cattle grazing.

Changes that are likely to impact on agriculture due to climate change include:⁴

reduction in the annual average rainfall over much of NSW;
increases in mean annual temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations;
increased frequency of extreme weather events such as flooding and drought;
altered distribution and survival of pests and weeds, which are likely to have a significant impact on agricultural production in some regions;
increased risk of heat stress especially for intensively housed animals and dairy cattle.

Climate change and agriculture

Read more about these agricultural sectors ...