Farmers have implored for the needs of rural and regional communities to be at the centre of the clean energy transition in an open letter to Australia’s top brass.
There is also a recommendation for a new national, cross-sectoral authority to be established to assist with climate change adaptation. This, in the eyes of Farmers for Climate Action, would help improve investment and increase resilience in rural communities.
This forms part of four recommendations from Farmers for Climate Action, which represents a cross-section of farmers from tropical Queensland in the north to Tasmania in the south and the wine-growing regions of WA in the west.
The group is also calling on politicians to commit to climate policy that aligns with science, to “rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the economy this decade and chart a pathway to net zero that protects regional Australia”.
Finally, Farmers for Climate Action asks for accountability and genuine collaboration with farmers and rural communities during the energy transition. This will help “secure the long-term viability of Australian agriculture and the landscapes it depends on”.
“Over the past week we have experienced fire emergencies across Victoria,” Farmers for Climate Action chief executive officer Verity Morgan-Schmidt said in the open letter.
“Heatwave conditions have contributed to dried out landscapes, as bushfires have swept through farming districts; wreaking havoc across communities, destroying farmland, infrastructure and livestock.”
Morgan-Schmidt recognised that cumulative impacts on farmers are mounting.
“Flooding in Queensland has inundated grazing country, devastating graziers and causing significant stock losses, while severe rainfall deficiencies persist in other parts of the country,” she said.
“These events are part of an unmistakable pattern of worsening extremes which are becoming more likely as a result of climate pollution.”
Morgan-Schmidt said Australia requires “strong, decisive action” to bring down emissions and protect farming families and the country’s food supply.
The open letter has been supported by Vigneron and Emeritus Professor of Horticulture and Viticulture at University of Melbourne, Professor Snow Barlow.
“Farmers and rural communities are in the firing line every time these floods and fires rip through regional Australia,” Barlow said.
“The reality is that we need to rapidly reduce emissions and strengthen our support for adaptation. In signing the Farmers for Climate Action open letter, I’m calling on all political leaders to be led by science, to act pragmatically and to support a sustainable future for our agriculture sector.”
Morgan-Schmidt said more than 1300 people have now signed the open letter, which has been tabled to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, and the respective state Premiers and Opposition Leaders.
“As we head into 2026, we need all sides of politics to come together to deliver strong, science-led climate policy and practical outcomes for Australian farmers and rural communities,” Morgan-Schmidt said.
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