Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
6
Agriculture in an even more sunburnt
country
Mark Howden, Serena Schroeter and
Steven Crimp
Introduction
Over more than two centuries, Australian agriculture has evolved to cope with
the droughts and flooding rains of our sunburnt country. It has been shaped by
such influences as climatic zones ranging from the seasonally wet and dry, hot
monsoonal north to some of the most arid deserts in the world to the temperate
cool and wet of parts of southern Australia. Climate has impacted on the choice
of farming systems and management, productivity, product quality and costs and
prices, amongst others. In addition to shaping production, climate also affects
natural resource management, particularly with regard to degradation events,
restoration opportunities and the longer-term effectiveness of interventions.
Given the response of Australian agriculture to historical climate variations has
been significant, it follows that the extensive climate changes involved in a Four
Degree World (hitherto unseen in instrumental records) would have substantial
effects on Australian agriculture and its natural resource base.
Australia has long benefited from its ability to produce more food than its
population requires. This has occurred in part through the adept management
of climate variability by the farming community and agribusiness supported
by world-class research. At present, on average, about two-thirds of gross farm
production of the major grain (wheat) and meat (beef) products are exported
(ABARES, 2012). Consequently, Australia and other countries producing
similar food surpluses compared with domestic consumption play an important
role contributing towards global food security (Gregory and Ingram, 2008).
The export value of Australian agricultural products is also an important
economic activity for Australia. For the year 2011-12, the total value of
Australian grains and oilseeds export was $11,135 million; the total export value
of meat and livestock products was $14,735 million; the total export value of
horticulture was $1,732 million; and the total export value of wine was $1,859
million (ABARES, 2012). Wheat exports alone during 2011-12 were valued
at $6,381 million. However, the impending impacts of climate change, in
conjunction with other forces operating on agriculture, raise questions about the
future of Australia's grain and livestock production rates and its capacity to be a
consistent and substantial exporter of some agricultural commodities.
