Wagga farmers back carbon neutral Australia by 2050 – Daily Advertiser

Wagga farmers have thrown their support behind the National Farmers Federation, which is pushing for a carbon neutral Australia by 2050. The ambitious targets won the popular vote among federation members, who say the government needs to take more drastic action to combat climate change. The federation’s plans are rather light on detail with only four pages of “aspirational” policy, however Illabo producer and NSW Farmers member David Carter said he supports their general sentiment. “The concept is a good idea, considering how people feel about global warming,” Mr Carter said. “The concept is heading in the right direction, and everyone should be doing their bit to try and get it down.” Wagga farmer Simon Moloney said it would be nice to see more concrete plans from the federation, but said he nevertheless supports the idea of a carbon-free future for Australia. “I think it’s a noble aspiration,” Mr Moloney said. “I’m not sure how the National Farmers Federation’s going to get us there, but I think it’s a good aspiration.” Federation president Fiona Simpson said the agricultural industry was leading the way in green technology, and that the rest of Australia should follow suit. “Australia’s farm sector continues to be a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” Ms Simson said. “There is a huge potential for Australia to be a global leader in low-emissions agriculture.” The federation’s policy document makes several other recommendations, including scrapping cap and trade policies entirely for the ag sector and compensating farmers for land clearing regulation costs. The document also hails the success of carbon sequestration, and pushes the government to explore more ways for farmers to make money out of it.