CATTLE Australia has today released its definition of deforestation in the Australian context, emphasising Australia’s strict vegetation management laws and the importance of beef production.
The grassfed cattle industry’s peak lobby group has also called on the Federal Government to support the industry with more accurate and up-to-date data on agricultural land use, biodiversity and nature.
The work has been done in reply to a growing list of supply chains demanding the industry prove its products are not the result of “deforestation” after sustained campaigns from environmental groups. Woolworths, McDonald’s and the European Union are some of the first movers.
Cattle Australia CEO Dr Chris Parker
Europe’s deforestation policy is becoming more controversial by the day, with the Australian senate last week calling on the Union to delay the policy due to a lack of direction.
Its definition of deforestation includes exemptions for agricultural land. CA chief executive officer Chris Parker said the Land Management Commitment (LMC) aligned with the international definitions.
“In a modern global context where Australia is a key player in the global beef trade, exporting over $10 billion annually, the alignment of Australian definitions with global definitions to ensure equivalency is crucial,” Dr Parker said.
“Globally, there is clear recognition of the importance of food production, and Australian definitions enable us to demonstrate the Australian regional context and the land management practices vital to maintaining food production, healthy landscapes and biodiversity.”
The LMC has been in the works for most of this year, with CA releasing a draft in July and calling for feedback.
“The outcome of the work is a decision tree model and educational information on the routine land management practices supported by the Australian State, Territory and Federal legislation through case studies, to ensure easy implementation for producers and the wider industry,” Dr Parker said.
Key definitions:
- Deforestation as the illegal clearing of trees on land, used for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes, that violates vegetation management laws and where trees exceed forest thresholds.
- Agricultural land is defined as land used for the production of food and fibre, including the grazing of livestock. Agricultural land use is demonstrated under the national Australian Land Use Management (ALUM) Classification system, with the majority of Australian grass-fed beef produced on Class 2 land type – Production from Relatively Natural Environments.
- Forest is defined as an area, incorporating all living and non-living components, dominated by trees having usually a single stem and a mature or potentially mature stand height exceeding two metres, and with existing or potential crown cover of overstorey strata about equal to or greater than 20 per cent.
- Forest does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural use in line with international definitions.
Deforestation decision making tool. Click to enlarge
The forest threshold was one point that was up for discussion during the process, with international frameworks classifying land spanning more 0.5ha, with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10pc.
CA told Beef Central that the organisation is trying to maintain Australian consistency and definition it used is the same definition as the Australian Forest Inventory.
Industry already abides by strict vegetation management laws
Environmental organisations – the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Wilderness Society and Greenpeace – have been campaigning for all regrowth 15-years and older to be protected under the deforestation targets.
They continued that campaign in the hours after CA released its definition today.
Dr Parker said Australian producers already abide by some of the strictest vegetation management laws in the world, and the LMC would complement these.
“Australia has more than 136 existing vegetation laws embedded in State, Territory and Federal legislation that protects the environment and biodiversity, representative of the complexity of the 89 bioregions within the Australian landscape,” Dr Parker said.
“As custodians of more than 50 per cent of the country’s land mass, the Australian grass-fed beef industry grazes on 325 million hectares of native vegetation and over 46 million hectares of modified pastures.
“We are proud to play a part in ensuring the sustainability and prosperity of our environment for generations to come through responsible land management – a role we take extremely seriously.”
Dr Parker said despite the campaigns of industry detractors, the beef sector’s sustainability credentials are clear.
“Australia sits in the top 10 countries globally for protected forest area, with 36pc of Australia’s forest on land managed for conservation purposes,” he said.
“The total legal land clearing and re-clearing of native forests was 0.134pc in 2020-21, and there has been a net positive change in forest for the past 16 years since 2008.
“Invasive plants, pests and diseases are now the number one contributor to biodiversity loss in Australia, which producers spend $5.3 billion annually managing.”
Recommendations for effective implementation
To ensure the beef industry can demonstrate its sustainability credentials to attract incentives for biodiversity, market access, and strategic growth, the LMC work has identified four key recommendations:
- Australian government to manage an accurate and up-to-date (updated annually) national dataset to demonstrate through satellite mapping, agricultural land use, nature and biodiversity.
- Ensure equivalency with international standards that support producers operating within the Australian context in maintaining market access to both domestic and international markets and ensure technical barriers to trade are compliant with World Trade Organisation rules.
- Industry and government tools must be accessible to enable producers to demonstrate the benefits of the co-existence of beef production and biodiversity outcomes.
- Empower strategic agricultural growth through sustainable development plans that detail strategies that ensure food security, regional economies and local ecosystems are not compromised.
Dr Parker said Australian beef producers are already world leaders in environmental and biodiversity management practices.
“The LMC work has been undertaken at a time when the supply chain and financial sector are being caught under a broader trend requiring global businesses to publicly disclose the actions they are taking to promote sustainable outcomes for the planet,” Dr Parker said.
“These definitions and recommendations are simply a means to ensure we maintain our world-leading reputation and can respond to the changing market access requirements.
“The Australian beef industry plays a crucial role in addressing the world’s food security and climate challenges by exporting 70pc of our product to over 100 countries globally. It is vital this role is recognised, and the industry is supported by both the Government and the Australian people.”
Nationals MP welcomes LMC
Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism, Kevin Hogan has said he strongly supports Cattle Australia’s Land Management Commitment strategic policy which was released today.
“Cattle Australia’s Land Management Commitment (LMC) emphasises the primacy of agricultural land and includes definitions in the Australian context. We have worldclass beef, and world class farming practises – we want our beef continuing to be exported to Europe” Mr Hogan said.
“People need to know that Australian producers already abide by some of the strictest vegetation management laws in the world. Farmers are committed to ensuring the sustainability and prosperity of our environment for generations to come through responsible land management.
“We cannot have another country telling our farmers what to do and how to do it, with no understanding of our long standing, effective land management practices. Cattle Australia’s work provides a pathway for equivalency with international standards in maintaining market access and compliance with World Trade Organisation rules.”
- Read the full Land Management Commitment strategic policy here