The Federal Opposition is calling for studies into the issue of public food security before rural land is sold under the Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative.
New South Wales Nationals’ Senator Fiona Nash says she has real concerns about the purchase of properties for carbon sequestration.
After the recent sale of a working Northern Territory property, Senator Nash says food security is the important issue.
“Henbury Station, the Government has spent $9 million in a joint purchase to buy this property to lock it up to sequest the carbon dioxide,” she said.
“Now what we have seen with that is 10,000 head of cattle being taken off that property, so quite simply this land is going from agricultural production use to sequest the carbon.”
The Senator is citing Fairfax reports of an emerging trend in carbon traders buying farms to generate carbon credits for sale under voluntary schemes.
Senator Nash says impact statements on the issue of public food security are needed ahead of the sale of any rural land for carbon trading.
“Now I have real concerns there needs to be transparency around this which is why I am calling for public food security impact statements when ever any agricultural property is sold for the purposes of carbon sequestration rather than agricultural production,” she said.
Meanwhile, Riverina and Murray councils have pledged $12,000 to a food security education campaign in schools.
The RAMROC group of councils is helping the Murray-Darling Association and Murray Catchment Management Authority in the project.
RAMROC chairman Terry Hogan says the funding will go towards a high quality DVD and education projects.
He says it is a critically important project to help ensure students appreciate the importance of Australia’s food production and security so as to meet future global needs, as well as looking after Australia’s national economy.
Councillor Hogan says farmers and farming communities are extremely environmentally conscious but unfortunately this is not properly conveyed to students, particularly in the large metropolitan areas.
