Community stories: 1 February 2018
Farmers for Climate Action know that the winds of change are upon farming in Australia – and want to do something about it.
Sid Plant is a fifth-generation cattle farmer in Darling Downs, Qld. It is an old family business and Sid intends to keep it that way for as long as possible.
Over the past five generations a lot has changed for farmers. There are the obvious things – the internet, better farming technology etc. But there is also climate change. Sid knows that if his father had done things exactly the same as his grandfather, and he had done the same as his great grandfather, they would no longer be in the cattle farming business. Science, technology and being open to new ways of doing things is essential. Which is why Sid is a passionate member of Farmers for Climate Action. He has studied climate change for many years so that he can engage with other Australian farmers about it – explaining to them the impacts on agriculture and their livelihoods whenever the chance arises.
Farmers for Climate Action is a not for profit organisation that works with farmers, scientists and other experts to find ways to make farming more sustainable in a world where climate change is having an impact on Australia’s agricultural industries.
FRRR’s Not-for-profit Fundraising account helps FCA achieve it’s goals
The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal and FCA have entered into a partnership to establish a not-for-profit fundraising account, for people who wish to donate to FRRR, obtain a tax deduction, and indicate that their preference is that their donation supports Farmers for Climate Action. This account is primarily concerned with the ‘scale up’ of Farmers for Climate Action, such as expanding their operations around Australia, hosting educational events, running fellowship programs, and spreading the word to ensure that Australian farmers can connect with experts and advocate for change to create sustainable farming practices that will serve Australians well for many years to come.
In the first seven months since commencing the partnership, FRRR granted out over $250,000 to FCA. FCA have encouraged donors to donate to FRRR, and have received hundreds of donations – ranging in size from $5.00 to large philanthropic sums. FCA CEO Verity Morgan-Schmidt says ‘without the support of FRRR through its Not-for-Profit fundraising account, we would not have been able to receive the same scale of funds from large philanthropic donors [who must give to a DGR-1 organisation] as we have. Being able to direct our supporters to donate to FRRR to receive a tax deductible receipt has widened our pool of prospective supporters.’
Through Farmers for Climate Action, Sid and his family have worked with leading scientists and researchers to pioneer new sustainable research practices to cope with climate change in their area. They have also assisted with revealing how to best apply climate science and forecasting to agricultural planning and risk management.
Farmers for Climate Action works across rural Australia to put those on the frontline of climate change front and centre in creating climate solutions. We’re building the capacity of farmers across Australia to understand and manage climate risks, transform our energy systems, restore carbon in natural and farming landscapes and adopt climate smart agriculture farming practices.
Recently, they raised money to send two young Australian farmers to a climate conference in Paris. Anika and Joshua travelled to Europe so they could learn about sustainable farming efforts around the world and bring the knowledge back to Australia’s farming community.
Without this work, farming in Australia is at serious risk. Climate change poses a huge threat to how our farmers and our farming communities operate, continue to support themselves, and continue to provide Australians with fresh produce.
Donate to Farmers for Climate Action.
Image credit: SBS (https://www.sbs.com.au/news/farmers-on-frontline-of-climate-change)
