How Horticulture is Responding to the Climate Change Challenge

1
How Horticulture is Responding to the Climate
Change Challenge
Peter Deuter Queensland Primary Industries
Fisheries
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
2
How Horticulture is Responding to the Climate
Change Challenge

• Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan
• Climate Change Projects
• What priorities need urgent
• attention?

Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
3
The Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries

• Components
• Adapting to Climate Change
• Mitigating and Reducing Greenhouse Gases
• Informing growers, scientists, politicians and
  the community
• Each component is divided into -
• Desired Outcomes
• Priorities (Actions) which can achieve
• these desired outcomes
• Some Questions which these Actions will answer
• Horticulture Action Plan is
  available from HAL

.
4
ADAPTATION
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries

• Desired Outcome - Resilient and Adaptive
  Horticultural Production Systems which are less
  vulnerable to climate change and climate
  variability.

MITIGATION
Desired Outcome Reduced GHG emissions from
horticultural production systems.
AWARENESS, INFORMATION COMMUNICATION

• Desired Outcome - Producers and their advisors
  understand climate change and climate
  variability, and can make appropriate risk
  management decisions.

.
5
How Horticulture is Responding to the Climate
Change Challenge

• Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan
• Climate Change Projects
• What priorities need urgent
• attention?

Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
6
This is the lime title master slide
Climate Change Projects a) Adaptation
Strategies specific to Horticulture
Australian horticulture's response to climate
change and climate variability (AH06019) Autono
mous adaptation is being driven in the first
instance to maintain profitability through market
timing, market access and market share to be able
to adapt to the new climate in the current
location.
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
7
How Horticulture is Responding to the Climate
Change Challenge
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
8
How Horticulture is Responding to the Climate
Change Challenge
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
9
How Horticulture is Responding to the Climate
Change Challenge
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
10
How Horticulture is Responding to the Climate
Change Challenge
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
11
This is the lime title master slide

• Climate Change Projects
• a) Adaptation Strategies specific to
  Horticulture
• The simplest adaptation strategies are currently
  being employed by growers which enable growers
  to maintain current production in current
  locations -
• More adaptable cultivars
• Cultural practices - improved irrigation
  practices and IPM
• Autonomous adaptation OK until at least 2030 ??
• This is being driven in the first instance to
  maintain profitability through market timing,
  market access and market share to be able to
  adapt to the new climate in the current
  location.

Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
12
This is the lime title master slide
Climate Change Projects b) develop an
understanding of how climate change will impact
horticultural cropping systems and businesses in
specific regions. Land and Water
Australia, Woolworths and Horticulture Australia
Ltd project - Critical thresholds and climate
change impacts in horticulture (2009-2011) - has
commenced addressing this issue.
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
13
This is the lime title master slide
Climate Change Projects c) HAL funded the
project, Vegetable Industry Carbon
Footprint Scoping Study - Discussion Papers and
Workshop (VG08107) in 2008. http//www.horticu
lture.com.au/delivering_know-how/Environment/theme
s.aspa_106 This has led to a project to develop
a Carbon Footprint tool for the Australian
Vegetable Industry which will has been
commissioned by HAL. This tool will be available
to the Australian Vegetable Industry before the
end of 2009. d) 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 (National Greehouse
Accounts), Australian horticulture emitted only
one (1) Mt CO2-e (i.e. lt1) in 2005 the
Vegetable Industry is about ½ of this.
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
14
This is the lime title master slide
Climate Change Projects e) 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.
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
15
The Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan

• Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan
• Climate Change Projects
• What priorities need urgent
• attention?

Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
16
This is the lime title master slide

• What priorities need urgent attention?
• ADAPTATION
• Vulnerability assessments and Adaptation
  Strategies for of the major
• production regions
• MITIGATION REDUCTION
• What is Horticultures Carbon Footprint?
• How can this be reduced (and Why?)?
• What are the practicalities and economics of
  carbon sequestration in soils
• associated with horticultural
  production systems?

Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
17
This is the lime title master slide

• What priorities need urgent attention?
• 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 and Horticulture
• 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?

Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.
18
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

Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
.
.