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Agriculture and the Environmental Imperative
Australia presented a poor natural endowment for agriculture to its
European settlers. The continent was dry, the soils
relatively infertile and fragile. They applied the farming practices with which
they were familiar, but these were suited to richer soils and more plentiful
rain. Through continuous innovation, technical skill and
determination, Australian agriculture has led the world in productivity, however, it is
now apparent that this productivity has come at considerable
expense. Agricultural development has led to serious land degradation, loss of
water quality and declining biodiversity.
In the past, agricultural producers and the environmental
movement adopted opposing views on how the Australian landscape should
be managed. Some environmentalists perceived primary producers
as exploiters of our natural resources, with little regard for preserving
the environment. Environmental groups were seen by farmers as
having special access to politicians, attempting to bring about legislative
changes without experience or the need to earn a living from such a
fragile environment. This book, prepared for the ninth Australian Agronomy Conference on Growing a Greener Future, is an account of contemporary scientific knowledge of some major environmental problems facing farmlands, and raises many contentious issues that need to be addressed. It will make a positive contribution to the convergence of attitudes of farmers, environmentalists and governments in the search for sustainability. |