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New climate change measures welcomed
THE National Farmers’ Federation reported that Aus- tralia’s suite of cli- mate change action measures recognise the agriculture sec- tor’s capacity to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change.
To get there, an impor- tant goal is for the farm sector to be trending to- wards carbon neutrality by the same year.
“We commend Min- ister Littleproud on bringing AIA to frui- tion and its focus on cli- mate,” Ms Simson said.
President Fiona Simson said the meth- odologies released by Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Taylor complemented a suite of established measures and were an- other important tool in the toolbox.
“Farmers must be convinced that there are identifiable and eco- nomically viable path- ways to net neutrality, including impacts from inputs such as energy, and any associated leg- islation must be fair and advantageous to agri- cultural,” Ms Simson said.
This commitment will complement and inte- grate with the AIA and CRSPI initiatives.
Minister Taylor identi- fied five methodology priorities.
Ms Simson said other complementary gov- ernment initiatives in- cluded:
“The two that the NFF are vitally interested in are soil carbon and plantation forestry,” Ms Simson said.
“It’s essential that there is no unneces- sary regulatory impedi- ment.”
• The low emission technology statement, which targets five pri- ority technology stretch goals, of which soils carbon, clean hydrogen and energy storage are of considerable interest
“Soil carbon espe- cially needs much more research and better in- formation about the im- pacts of different man- agement practices.
Farmers shared the government’s view that a target must be under- pinned by a robust plan.
• The Agriculture Stewardship Fund, which includes a grants scheme for co-benefits, biodiversity certifica- tion scheme and NFF’s agriculture sustain- ability framework
“We are pleased that these methodologies will be designed with industry.
“At a government and industry level, there is a lot of good work un- derway on the path to a reduced emissions fu- ture,” she said.
“We also welcomed the Minister’s reitera- tion this week of the substantial role agricul- ture has already played in Australia’s emissions reduction.”
The Climate Research Strategy for Primary Industries aims to sup- port farmers to use a common approach to develop sector specific greenhouse gas base- lines and to create trans- parency and trust in comparing sectoral and individual responses.
• The King review of the Emissions Re- duction Fund, which includes recommenda- tions for a small-scale fixed carbon price and development of stacking or co-benefit options.
Emissions from crop- ping and grazing have fallen by 69 percent over the past three dec- ades, from about 300 million tonnes per year in 1990 to about 92 mil- lion tonnes today.
“Accurate and agreed- to measurement meth- odologies are para- mount to agriculture’s full participation in emissions reduction ef- forts,” Ms Simson said.
“There is no doubt the government has es- tablished serious initia- tives backed by signifi- cant investment, which is entirely appropriate to proactively address the wicked dilemma of climate change,” Ms Simson said.
Ms Simson said the NFF maintained the view that farmers should have been com- pensated for the land clearing limitation laws that lead to the reduc- tion.
The NFF welcomed the new levy-funded, cross-commodity Ag- riculture Innovation Australia and its iden- tification of climate as a priority area for invest- ment and innovation.
“The farm sector not only conditionally sup- ports an economy wide aspiration of net zero emissions by 2050, we are also engaged with the considerable and de- monstrable efforts un- derway that will put ag- riculture in the best po- sition to adapt in these changing times.”
“Our members are steadfast that these credits should not be forfeited,” she said.
“The AIA Climate Initiative is undertaking comprehensive consul- tation with RDCs, the NFF, state farming or- ganisations and peak commodity groups.
The NFF has a plan for agriculture to be Aus- tralia’s next $100 billion industry by 2030.
The NFF also supports an economy-wide net carbon neutral target by 2050, with several strict conditions.
Meat and Livestock Australia has also up- dated its plan for the red meat sector to be carbon natural by 2030, to include an investment program of $230 mil- lion.
In the next 10 years, cultivated meat will move out of the lab and onto Chinese consumers’ frying pans.
Chinese cell-based meat
startup raises $A3.86M
MAINLAND Chinese team at Nanjing Agricul- seminar hosted by GFI Current director at Cel-
cultivated meat startup Joes Future Food has raised almost $A4 mil- lion in an angel invest- ment round.
tural University repre- sents mainland China’s first ever cell-based pork product.
Consultancy in Shanghai last year, Dr Shijie Ding, who also led the research centre that has spun-off into Joes Future Food, said he believes that the commercialisation of cell- based meats in China will be not too far into the future.
lular Agriculture Aus- tralia and graduate of Yenching Academy of Pe- king University by Chloe Dempsey led a consumer study recently and found that 40 percent of Chinese respondents were aware of cultured meat and a massive 70 percent were willing to try it.
The food tech, recently rebranded from Nanjing Zhouzi, will be using the funding to ramp up re- search and development and overcome technical challenges in order to im- prove its current product – cultivated minced pork.
Specifically, the startup will be using the invest- ment to overcome tech- nical hurdles that many food techs face in the cultivated protein sector, including isolating stem cells, creating serum-free cell culture medium and cultivating cells on a large scale.
“In the next 5 to 10 years, cultivated meat will get out of the lab and eventually onto the Chi- nese consumer’s frying pan,” Dr Ding said.
Of the main reasons con- sumers cited, ethical and environmental concerns were lower on their priori- ties, while other benefits such as food safety and framing it as a high-tech innovation led to greater consumer appeal.
Raising $A3.86 mil- lion from Matrix Partners China in their latest angel funding round, Joes Fu- ture Food will be scaling up its R&D and produc- tion capacity to develop its cultivated pork product, which first debuted in No- vember last year.
The team plans to fur- ther refine the colour and flavour of its cultured pork mince, with the aim of producing a final pro- tein product that can be customised in terms of its nutritional value to suit the individual preferences of consumers.
Given the milestone the world’s first commercial sale of cultured meat in Singapore reached before the end of 2020, most in- dustry experts have set their sights on more land- mark approvals to come in the months ahead.
Presenting her findings at the Future Food Asia 2020 conference held late last year, Ms Dempsey said, “What really works here is framing cultured meat as a product that will positively bring nu- tritional benefits, food safety and security.”
Led by Professor Zhou Guanghong, the prototype developed by the research
Speaking at a fermenta- tion and cultivated meat
Within the Chinese market, research indicates that it is likely that food safety and nutrition will be the key concerns that motivate consumers to choose cultivated meat – particularly in light of the coronavirus crisis-related supply chain disruptions and the African swine fever outbreak that hit China’s pork stocks the hardest months before the pandemic struck.
Commercialisation of cell-based meats in China will be not too far into the future.
“Many companies in the west often talk about cultured meat as the eth- ical or sustainable choice to appeal to consumers, but this is not the most relevant in this market, which needs to be taken into context.”
Farmgate value likely to hit $65 billion
ABARES executive director Dr Steve Hatfield-Dodds.
AUSTRALIAN farm- gate production worth $65 billion is expected in 2020-21 on the back of the nation’s second largest winter crop and promising rainfall out- look.
variable environments in the world, so ebbs and flows in production are to be expected,” he said.
during the pandemic, but the residual effect of past dry seasons and trade uncertainties are pushing down export value,” Dr Hatfield-Dodds said.
ABARES December quarter 2020 Agricul- ture Commodities report points to continued re- covery for the farming sector from drought and resilience in the face of COVID-19.
“We’re expecting a near all-time high winter crop, the best ever in NSW, and a more favour- able outlook for summer cropping than we have seen in recent years.
“Recovery from drought is limiting pro- duction and exports of livestock products and fibres, with meat prices also falling as the Af- rican swine fever impact on China’s pork produc- tion begins to lessen.
ABARES executive di- rector Dr Steve Hatfield- Dodds said, “Overall Australian agricultural production is bouncing back from the drought.”
While production is forecast to rise by 7 per- cent to $65 billion, ex- ports are expected to fall by 7 percent from last year to $44.7 billion.
“Australian producers manage one of the most
“Exports have con- tinued to find markets
“Livestock prices have also stayed high, with herd and flock re- building and continued international demand.”
“There are a number of risks present for the rest of 2021 that remain a watch point, including wine trade with China and labour shortages for the horticulture sector.”
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Page 10 – Australian Pork Newspaper, January 2021
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