Healthy Land & Water was recently invited to speak at a public inquiry into the impact of climate change on Queensland agricultural production.

Healthy Land & Water presented on mitigating climate impacts and the government's crucial role in supporting Ag’s resilience and adaptation, given Queensland's agricultural future depends on proactive strategies in a changing climate.

Climate change has emerged as a defining issue of our time, casting a long shadow over Queensland's agricultural sector. As we look ahead, it's evident that a hotter, drier climate, coupled with more intense rainfall events, will significantly impact agricultural production in our state.

Our Chairman Steven Roberston, CEO Julie McLellan, and Principal Scientist Bruce Lord fronted the State Development and Regional Industries Committee’s public hearing which was held on 11 September in Brisbane.

Our representatives spoke about the multifaceted impacts of climate change on Queensland's agriculture, the need for adaptation, and how the government can play a pivotal role in supporting resilience and mitigation measures.

Healthy Land & Water submitted three solutions and opportunities for ways that we fundamentally believe will support landholders into the future and their adaption, including productivity, through some of the biophysical properties as well as starting to improve soil carbon.

The impacts and risks to Queensland agriculture brought to the table

Queensland's agricultural landscape is bracing for unprecedented changes. A shifting climate, marked by rising temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns, presents substantial challenges for the industry.

The impacts of climate change and variability are both known and unknown, but their collective effect will be profound:

• Continue to adapt – Farmers across Queensland are already experiencing the need for rapid adaptation. The changing climate threatens the quality and quantity of crop yields, making some crops unsustainable in their current regions. Livestock production faces difficulties, with pasture production, liveweight gains, and herd fertility all under threat. To maintain viability, agricultural businesses may have to embrace additional inputs like irrigation, transition to new commodities, or diversify their operations.
  Innovations like carbon farming and environmental markets provide opportunities for farmers to diversify income streams while contributing to biodiversity improvements and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
• It will be a riskier business – Farming is inherently risky, but climate change magnifies these risks. Changes in seasonal conditions have already slashed annual average farm profits by over 20% (Hughs 2021). Uncertainty in climate projections, particularly regarding rainfall, creates an equivalent uncertain range of outcomes for farms. Farmers are faced with the challenge of adapting to these uncertainties, particularly when long-term investments are required. Managing increased drought risk through physical and financial resilience measures will be critical for the agricultural sector's future. Boom and bust seasons, along with more frequent natural disasters, add to the unpredictability of natural capital markets. Furthermore, accessing adequate and affordable insurance policies for adaptation remains an ongoing concern.
• ESG principles mean more credentials needed – Market forces are evolving, with environmental, social, and governance principles (ESG) (NFF 2023) becoming central to trading partners' and investors' expectations. Agricultural producers are under pressure to adapt to these changes swiftly. However, ESG guidelines lack a standardised national or global set of standards, resulting in over 30 different industry ESG models in Australia. This diversity means that the onus of achieving a positive ESG status often falls on individual farmers, potentially adding extra costs without a guaranteed return. However, opportunities exist for farmers to leverage national and regional mechanisms like Accounting for Nature and environmental report cards, which can reduce the burden of action prioritisation, monitoring, and reporting.

The opportunities for government to build and support resilience, adaptation and mitigation measures

With the challenges described, we brought to the Committee’s attention three possible solutions and ways to support the agricultural sector for a better future.

Ensuring continuity of funding for quality extension services – Quality extension programs have proven instrumental in fostering sustainable land management and climate resilience. Our recent survey indicates their positive impact, with high percentages of participating landholders acknowledging the value of climate adaptation workshops (from increased long-term sustainability and production to increased resilience of enterprise and natural assets when faced with climate change).

These programs are built on the relationships between agricultural producers and extension staff, making continuity of funding crucial. Currently, many extension providers rely on short-term, project-based funding, creating instability and knowledge gaps when projects end. Principal Scientist Bruce Lord explained to the Committee that we work collaboratively with those government extension officers where they exist.

“We have tended to fill the gaps where some of those extension services have been withdrawn over a number of years in particular fields.”

To maximise efficiency, there's a need for a long-term commitment to supporting landholders across all agricultural industries, including holistic Property Management Plans and Farm Business Resilience Plans. Collaboration with regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) and industry extension staff can enhance program effectiveness and adaptability. Addressing the need for extension staff, especially those with soil conservation and erosion management expertise, is essential to mitigate the risks associated with more frequent and intense rainfall events.

Lend a hand to farmers in the continuous adaptation challenge – The Queensland Government can play a pivotal role in supporting agricultural adaptation in multiple ways:

• Agricultural economic extension – Farmers need to implement strategies such as practice change, diversification, ESG requirements and transition to other crops or commodities to stay viable. By providing training and extension services focusing on financial consequences, the government can help farmers understand the financial impacts of climate change and assess adaptation options.
• Transition, diversification, and market adaptation grants – Change is expensive and agricultural businesses may need assistance to transition, diversify or adapt to meet environmental credentials. In our recent end-of-program survey for the five-year Regional Land Program, respondents reported a lack of financial resources as the biggest barrier to making changes to land management practices. Offering financial assistance for transitions, diversification, and meeting environmental credentials can help overcome financial barriers to change.
• Targeted research priorities – Directed research to understand how producers can better manage climate risks and practical tools and technologies will benefit the industry.

Protecting agricultural land – Subdivision and fragmentation of productive agricultural land due to urban development pressure, particularly in South East Queensland, pose significant challenges. Protecting prime agricultural land from fragmentation is essential to preserving productivity and mitigating the impact of climate change on marginal lands.

The future of Queensland's agriculture depends on collective action, innovative strategies, and steadfast commitment to building resilience and sustainability.