Nationals Senator Fiona Nash today called for a public food security impact statement to be done before any agricultural property is sold for carbon sequestration and trading under the federal government’s Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI).
It follows the recent joint purchase by RM Williams and the federal government of Henbury Station in the Northern Territory with the aim of sequestering carbon dioxide and selling offset credits under the CFI.
The Sydney Morning Herald this week reported an emerging trend in carbon traders buying farms, to generate carbon credits for sale under voluntary schemes or the CFI if the legislation is passed in the senate.
The matter was also raised during a senate inquiry into live cattle exports in Darwin today.
Senator Nash said public food security impact statements should be mandatory before properties are sold to companies for environmental and biodiversity offsets.
“We must protect our prime agricultural land from corporate self interest. Our future food production and future food security should be the higher priority,” she said.
“For example, locking the Henbury cattle station up as a nature reserve means the removal of at least 10,000 head of cattle from the global food chain.
“We have to consider the ramifications of shutting down properties, as the federal government has done to Henbury, on farming families and associated rural industries.
“I support improved environmental outcomes for farming practices so long it doesn’t compromise food productivity and food security.
“I also caution corporates against rushing into land acquisitions to take advantage of the CFI as the legislation still lacks vital and important details.”
Tuesday, August 09, 2011 5:35 PM
Thank you Senator, for speaking the truth in regard to your comments in the house. Thank you for your courtesy and being honest in comments. Australians are being conned with unresearched so called science and nonsense , Australia is being brought to its knees by the mismanagement, and the thin edge of proposed taxes. Wish you well . Graeme.
Thursday, August 11, 2011 12:04 PM
Thankyou for speaking out on behalf of the Aussie Primary Producers, almost my entire family and my partner's family are farmers, the views held by the city majority are unbalanced and unsustainable. (I would like to see them eat bloody eucalypts!)
There is no evidence that the methane produced by livestock exceeds the environment's ability to absorb the emission level and even the carbon levels Please keep up the fight on behalf of rural australians and thankyou for speaking out in parliament. Good luck in the future. Tamara
Wednesday, January 04, 2012 11:35 AM
Thankyou Graeme and Tamara for your comments.