THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation
MEDIA RELEASE
NEW CARBON FARMING HANDBOOK TO HELP AUSTRALIA’S FARMERS CREATE EXTRA REVENUE
Farmers, landholders, waste operators and other clean energy businesses seeking to take part in the Gillard Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) can now access information in a new handbook released today by the Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Mark Dreyfus.
The Carbon Farming Initiative opened for business last December and encourages farmers, land owners, local government and other stakeholders to generate extra revenue by reducing agricultural and landfill waste pollution.
“The Carbon Farming Initiative Handbook will be a great resource for Australia’s farmers. It sets out how farmers and landholders can improve land and farm sustainability while generating carbon credits that can be sold on domestic and international markets,” said Mr Dreyfus, officially releasing the handbook at a farmers’ forum in Casino, NSW.
Several methodologies have already been approved under the CFI, including reducing methane in piggeries, flaring landfill gas, planting native tree species and reducing pollution from savanna fires.
CSIRO, universities and other research bodies are developing a number of other methodologies with the federal government, including dairy cattle food supplementation, enhanced efficiency fertilisers, manure management and soil carbon.
“Climate change poses a serious risk to the future of Australian agriculture and food production, with scientists confirming a strong link to less predictable and more intense weather events,” said Mr Dreyfus.
“Australian farmers and landholders have an important role to play in our nation’s clean energy future by increasing the land sector's resilience to climate change and improving long term farm productivity.”
Over the next six years, the Gillard Government will support the land sector by investing $1.7 billion dollars of carbon price revenue to support the CFI and other programs to improve productivity, sustainability and profitability.
Further information about the Carbon Farming Initiative is available at www.climatechange.gov.au/cfi
THURSDAY, 29 MARCH 2012
