15. The Agricultural and Science agenda Productivity research Genetics, disease, nutrition, irrigation, production systems Climate Change response research Methane reduction, nitrous oxide reduction, soil carbon adaptation National Research Agenda Funding Industry and governments Agricultural productivity National responsibilities
16. The Agricultural and Science agenda National Research Agenda Industry and governments Agricultural profitability and national responsibilities Productivity and climate change research After Barlow, 2010
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Hinweis der Redaktion
There is no valid scientific argument to the contrary, and there is increasing evidence of the predicted changes: increased temperatures, changed rainfall patterns and increases in frequency and intensity of extreme events including, storms, cyclones, droughts, high heat days, and snow storms that we’ve all seen played out on our TV screens in the last decade, and particularly so in the last year. Conference not about climate change, but about our responses to it.
In addition, the rest of the world has slipped behind the challenge of dealing with climate change if we are to avoid dangerous climate change. Uncertainty - IPCC
We have long been known as the lucky country, and indeed we are. We are blessed with abundant and varied natural resources, a highly educated population, are very secure society, with a stable and transparent political system, and a strong innovation system. Indeed in 2010, we were 7 th in world economic competitiveness ( Institute for Management Development) and in 2009, we were the 13th largest national economy by nominal GDP (Wikepedia, 2011) All this means, my kids are some of the most privileged kids in the world. These are the lucky ones: they don’t have a clue what is like to go without good food, clean water, a good house, good medical facilities, a good education system, and abundant opportunities as they grow. And herein lies a challenge – we’ve got it good, so what’s the problem, why would we change?
Do Australian’s really understand this? Or the scale of the problem that exists?
FAO estimates that globally, 925 million people were undernourished in 2010. This is about 13% of the world’s population, or in other words about 1 person in 7 that doesn’t have access to enough safe and nutritious food. As you can see, most were in developing nations. Australia doesn’t rate a mention.
In the last three years we have seen a spate of ‘food riots’ across the world, peaking in the middle of 2008, and not least the recent events in Egypt being driven by food availability concerns resulting in the first successful people led internet revolution. Paul Krugman is a Nobel prize-winning economist, goes on to predict there is more to come, not least because of climate change …
we have enjoyed food security for long time we produce enough for nearly three times our population, and could produce more And therefore food security doesn’t APPEAR as if it is going to be a problem for decades to come. In other words, for the vast majority of Australians: ‘food security - so what!’, there is no burning platform for change, and no burning platform means no political priority. By and large Australian can get all the food they want from the supermarket shelf, whenever they want.
Represent ! Neville Nicholls woke up to witness the horror of Black Saturday 2 years ago, and immediately blamed himself for not better communicating the dangers of climate change, for not being an advocate of his work, not I hasten to add to advocate a particular policy response, rather to raise awareness, explain, and defend the science).
Strategy is where are we going Database is where are we now Analysis of gaps and opportunities is about going from where we are now to where we want to be
Note that three of the six themes in the CCRSPI RDE strategy were around communication: - Accessing information - Facilitating change - Linking decision makers
Australia is a lucky country, but getting left behind.