‘The simple fact is that food is essential’: Ag leader says net zero must not come at cost

Agriculture is a vital industry that should not lose out when it comes reaching net zero, according to Pastoralist and Graziers Association of WA president Tony Seabrook.

Mr Seabrook, who is also a York farmer, presented at the University of WA’s 18th annual Institute of Agriculture industry forum: Can Agriculture Reach Net Zero?, which was held at UWA’s Crawley campus on July 17.

The seminar heard from a series of industry expects such as Soil CRC chief executive for high-performance soils Michael Crawford and Regional Development chief economist Ross Kingwell, who spoke about the Australian agriculture industry’s chances of reaching net zero emissions.

Planfarm agronomy consultant Rob Grima also facilitated a panel discussion with 2023 Nuffield scholar Rebecca Kelly, farm business adviser Richard Brake, pastoralist Debbie Dowden and InterEarth business development manager Peter Metcalfe.

While there was a lot of optimism regarding a carbon-neutral future, Mr Seabrook said it was important to remember that achieving net zero should not come at a cost to agriculture.

“Consider that whether it be a sheep eating grass, growing wool and producing a lamb, or a beast eating grass and producing milk ... they are converting something inedible to humans into a product desirable, beneficial, natural and in great demand worldwide,” he said.

“Agriculture is not a wasteful industry, nor is it a highly profitable one. It is lean, smart, innovative and highly efficient, and can feed the entire population of Australia with the best food in the world.”

Mr Seabrook spoke about how livestock farming worked in harmony with the land.

He also mentioned luxury cruises and other entertainments he classed as a “want” as opposed to a “need”, and said less attention should be put on pressuring farmers to cut back emissions.

“What I am trying to say here is I don’t have a problem with that (entertainment and transport industries). But let’s get the perspective here right and work out where the problem actually lies,” he said.

“If net zero is possible without limiting production and imposing a cost burden on this industry, it may be achievable in the future.”

In closing, Mr Seabrook cautioned the audience to remember the importance of agriculture.

“Climbing on a bandwagon is easy to do. Whether you are committed to the argument around climate change or not, we live in a time when people are too often looking for an opportunity to virtue signal,” he said.

“The simple fact is that food is essential and cannot be ignored or undervalued.”