27 January 2009
DAFF09/72T

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Tony Burke

E & OE

Yesterday the Minister from Ireland referred to the great potato famine - the same famine that brought my ancestors from Ireland to Australia.

It reminded me that the challenges we face are not new.

This generation is charged with getting it right, when every generation before us got it wrong.
That’s why I take this opportunity to thank the Spanish Government for its initiative and commitment in convening this meeting. Food security is an issue of the utmost importance and Spain has acted quickly and decisively to respond.

We need to remember that the food crisis, the global financial crisis and climate change are all interrelated.

Australia views the Comprehensive Framework for Action* as a strong foundation for tackling global food security issues and we welcomed the quick response of international organisations to the food security crisis.

Like many nations, we provided funding to the World Bank and the World Food Program. There is also an historic acknowledgement of the need for better research and development to deal with small-hold farming systems.

Suitable agricultural technology and investment in capacity-building will be essential to achieving priority policy objectives and delivering productivity.

But in many parts of the world, including the Asia-Pacific, we don't only look to the land for food; we also look to the oceans.

Food security requires that we harvest the ocean sustainably.

Technology transfer needs to involve not only agriculture, but also aquaculture.

On the issue of trade, I suspect Australia's views come as no surprise.

While there are some who argue in good faith that trade liberalisation will not lead to global food security, Australia has a different belief.

The vagaries of the world market can be a threat, especially where economies have moved close to monoculture.

But there are many opportunities for trade to bring wealth and incentives to improve production methods. To deny farmers access to these benefits can lock them into a cycle of poverty.
We believe that all nations should commit themselves to the conclusion of the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations this year.

The Doha round, the development round, is a clear means for addressing distortions and providing an environment in which food can be traded more freely and easily around the world.

We welcomed the commitment of leaders of the G20 last year to conclude the Doha negotiations.

Unfortunately we are still not there.

For example, the recent introduction of export subsidies for dairy could not have come at a worse time and is not in anyone’s long-term interests.

We remain hopeful that we can return to the negotiating table with a renewed effort to find a solution for the benefit of all farmers.

We face the challenge of improving food security while at the same time reducing the emissions profile of agriculture.

We need to drive research and development in areas that provide the win-win outcomes of increased productivity and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For example in Australia we have the Landcare program – a community program originally established in the 1980s to encourage sustainable farming and improve biodiversity.

These days, this program has new outcomes. It is now vital in improving levels of soil carbon, which helps to reduce greenhouse gases but is also associated with improved plant growth and enhanced productivity.

Speakers [in Madrid] yesterday commented we should look outside the box. We can't afford to ignore the potential benefits of science, whether reducing the use of pesticides, enhancing water-use sustainability or increasing soil carbon.

We must acknowledge the benefits of all of the science available to us, including biotechnology.
Climate change also presents a significant risk to the sustainability of the world's agricultural production. This will have implications for global peace and prosperity.

The outcomes from Copenhagen will have significant implications for food security. When it comes to responding to climate change, those who work the land have more at stake than those in any other part of the economy. They have a unique interest in ensuring carbon accounting matches the science.

There are good reasons why countries have been reluctant to include agriculture in their accounting, but we must continue to pursue a science-based accounting system that treats agricultural food production equitably.

And this will need more attention in the lead-up to Copenhagen. We must, and we can, ensure that actions to combat climate change enhance our shared goal to meet the food needs of a growing global population.

Through the application of science, Australia has been adapting to the challenges of farming in a dry, fragile environment. Australian farmers have benefited from this and we have plenty of skills we can pass on to those facing similar challenges.

Australia is very pleased to be part of the global solution in guaranteeing food security for all. With food security, the economic crisis and climate change, the challenges are huge and the relationships are complex. All people, especially the most needy, are relying on us to get this right. As a global community we need to prove that we are worthy of the challenge before us.

 

*The Comprehensive Framework for Action was established by the UN System High Level Task Force on the global food security crisis. It provides a prioritised plan of action for meeting the immediate needs of vulnerable populations and addressing the structural factors driving the food crisis.