The Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan

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The Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan

• What have we done, and what do we need to do?

Peter Deuter DPIF Queensland
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The Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan

• What is the Horticulture Climate Change
  Action Plan?
• Relationship to the National Agriculture
  Climate Change Action Plan (NACCAP)?
• What are the components of the Horticulture
  Action Plan?
• What has been achieved to date?
• What priorities need urgent attention?

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The Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan

• The National Agriculture Climate Change Action
  Plan (NACCAP) was developed with four (4) Focus
  Areas Adaptation, Mitigation, RD and Awareness
  and Communication
• www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/33981/
  nat_ag_clim_chang_action_plan2006.pdf
• The Horticulture Action Plan was produced as a
  component of the HAL project AH06019
  Australian Horticulture's Response to Climate
  Change and Climate Variability.
• For simplicity, it has incorporated the RD Focus
  Area into both the Adaptation and Mitigation
  areas leaving specific Actions which Australian
  Horticulture needs to consider under three (3)
  Focus Areas (1) Adaptation, (2) Mitigation, (3)
  Information, Awareness and Communication.

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The Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan

• What is the Horticulture Climate Change
  Action Plan?
• Relationship to the National Agriculture
  Climate Change Action Plan (NACCAP)?
• What are the components of the Horticulture
  Action Plan?
• What has been achieved to date?
• What priorities need urgent attention?

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The Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan

• Components
• Adapting to Climate Change
• Mitigating and Reducing Greenhouse Gases
• Informing growers, scientists, politicians and
  the community
• Each one divided into -
• Desired Outcomes
• Priorities (Actions) which can achieve these
  desired outcomes
• Some Questions which these Actions will answer
• Recommendation
• That industry note the priorities, and desired
  outcomes listed in the Action Plan, and increase
  R,DE investment to address these climate change
  (and climate variability) priorities.

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ADAPTATION

• Desired Outcome - Resilient and Adaptive
  Horticultural Production Systems which are less
  vulnerable to climate change and climate
  variability.
• Some Actions -
• Regional Climate scenarios (downscaling) for all
  horticulture regions
• Assess the vulnerability of regions and
  industries and identify the risks, opportunities
  and actions required
• Best management practices revise to include
  adaptation and mitigation options
• Practical tools available to horticultural
  growers and their advisors to better manage
  climate change and climate variability
• Review international impacts for major
  competitive horticultural crops and identify
  additional market opportunities

1. ADAPTATION
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MITIGATION

• Desired Outcome Reduced GHG emissions from
  horticultural production systems.
• Some Actions -
• We need to understand the Carbon Footprint of the
  industry.
• Identify and implement efficient Best Management
  Practices that reduce greenhouse gases from
  fertiliser, electricity, fuel, refrigeration and
  waste.
• Understand how horticulture might engage
  profitably in GHG sequestration soils and
  plants?
• Understand how the CPRS will affect Horticulture?
• Understand how the market will respond to
  overseas trends such as Carbon Labelling?

2. MITIGATION
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AWARENESS, INFORMATION COMMUNICATION

• Desired Outcome - Horticulture producers and
  their advisors having sufficient understanding of
  climate change and climate variability issues to
  be able to make appropriate risk management
  decisions.
• Some Actions -
• Specific and tailored information for
  horticulture
• Information products which promote
  horticulture-specific messages to growers, the
  community to policy makers
• Scientifically based information including the
  results of RD

3. COMMUNICATION
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The Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan

• What is the Horticulture Climate Change
  Action Plan?
• Relationship to the National Agriculture
  Climate Change Action Plan (NACCAP)?
• What are the components of the
  Horticulture Action Plan?
• What has been achieved to date?
• What priorities need urgent attention?

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This is the lime title master slide
WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED? a) Next Steps - AH06019
Climate Change Action Plan for Horticulture. b)
Adaptation Strategies specific to Horticulture -
The simplest adaptation strategies are currently
being employed by growers more adaptable
cultivars and cultural practices such as Improved
irrigation practices and IPM, which enable
growers to maintain current production in current
locations i.e. adapt to the new climate in
the current location. This will be driven in
the first instance to maintain profitability
through market timing, market access and market
share. c) The best defence against future climate
change is to continue to develop the capacity and
knowledge to manage our response to climate
variability more effectively. A project proposal
involving DPIF and CSIRO scientists,
specifically addressing these needs, has been
submitted to Land and Water Australia for
consideration.
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WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED? d) develop a clear
understanding of how climate change will impact
horticultural cropping systems and businesses in
specific regions at temperatures increasing up to
4oC. Land and Water Australia and Horticulture
Australia Ltd project, Critical thresholds
(tipping points) and climate change
impacts/adaptation in horticulture (2009-2011)
has recently been funded to commence addressing
this issue. e) HAL funded the project, Vegetable
Industry Carbon Footprint Scoping Study -
Discussion Papers and Workshop (VG08107) in 2008.
This has led to a project to develop a Carbon
Footprint tool for the Australian Vegetable
Industry which will be commissioned by HAL in
April 2009. f) Australian horticulture has a
very small carbon footprint compared with other
agriculture sectors. It is estimated that, of
the 90Mt CO2-e of greenhouse gases emitted by
Agriculture in 2005, Australian horticulture
emitted only one (1) MtCO2-e (i.e 1) in 2005.
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WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED? g) The Australian Banana
Industry is currently producing a Strategic Plan,
and has identified issues associated with its
carbon footprint, and the CPRS as issues which
require addressing. A desktop study funded HAL,
Understanding and Identifying the Threats and
Opportunities for the Banana Industry Posed by
Climate Change (BA08014), has commenced in
2009. h) Apples and Avocadoes industries have
called for project proposals to commence an
understanding of Climate Change implications in
these industries.
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The Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan

• What is the Horticulture Climate Change
  Action Plan?
• Relationship to the National Agriculture
  Climate Change Action Plan (NACCAP)?
• What are the components of the
  Horticulture Action Plan?
• What has been achieved to date?
• What priorities need urgent attention?

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• WHAT IS URGENTLY REQUIRED?
• ADAPTATION
• Downscaling climate change scenarios
  horticulture context
• Vulnerability assessments of the major
  production regions
• Adaptation Strategies for the most vulnerable
  regions Best Management Practices
• Opportunities in Australia or O/S as a result
  of climate change new crops?? and new export
  opportunities??

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• WHAT IS URGENTLY REQUIRED?
• MITIGATION REDUCTION
• What is Horticultures Carbon Footprint?
• How can this be reduced? BMPs which are
  profitable, sustainable and reduce GHG emissions
• Why should this be reduced?
• What are the practicalities and economics of
  carbon sequestration in soils and trees
  associated with horticultural production systems?

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• WHAT IS URGENTLY REQUIRED?
• INFORMATION, AWARENESS AND COMMUNICATION
• Scientifically based information useful for
  both growers and the community
• Specific Information topics (some examples)
• What is the Carbon Footprint of Horticulture
  compared with Agriculture and other Sectors?
• Soil Carbon Sequestration
• Horticulture Specific Impacts of Climate Change
• Horticulture Specific Adaptation Strategies
• Trends in Climate Change
• Uncertainties in the Climate Change debate
• Climate Change and Climate Variability is
  there a difference?

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Conclusions

• Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan
• Achievements Funded projects with
  recommendations which have begun to help us
  understand Climate Change in a Horticulture
  context.
• What Next?
• Vulnerability Adaptation Strategies
• Understand Carbon Footprint Reduce it
• Information Awareness will be important
• Manage Climate Variability

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