Environmental decline a ticking time bomb for farmers and food supply

It's come as no surprise to Australian farmers that the State of the Environment report provided a grim assessment of the state of our wildlife and wild places - we know that time is running out because we see these impacts firsthand.

But that doesn't make it any less heartbreaking to read.

I have heard numerous farmers and people involved in the agricultural sector describe our situation as a ticking time bomb.

The farmers that I know are hugely concerned about the deterioration of our natural world and its climate because a healthy environment is the foundation of any farm.

Clean water, stable temperatures, predictable rainfall patterns, pollinators and biodiversity make up well-functioning ecosystems.

The environment's condition impacts what food can be grown, where it can be grown, the cost of food, and its nutritional value.

By delaying action to protect the environment, there will be more frequent and worse extreme weather events, such as floods, bushfires and droughts, and a less resilient environment to cope with these devastations.

As a result, we will see food prices go up, nutrients go down, and we will experience damage to infrastructure and processes which will disrupt supply chains.

A recent Farmers for Climate Action report showed that consumers are already paying more for food because of climate-related floods and fires, and roads to the cities are often cut off by these events.

If we don't take urgent action, this trend will continue.

At a time when the cost-of-living is a concern to many Australian families, farmers' calls for action must be heard.

Time is running out, but there is still time, and we need to use it wisely.

We have to recognise the task at hand and acknowledge our responsibility in this moment.

By taking action, we look after the environment, and also benefit society and the economy; such as supporting new emerging job industries, providing financial security, and helping to ensure more resilience and stable communities.

We must take this State of the Environment report as motivation to change the way we are living on this planet. We should all be thinking every day about what we can do in our homes, in our communities, our businesses, our kids schools, our sporting groups, in our purchasing and waste habits, and our influence to improve policy.

The exciting thing is, that we have an abundance of solutions right at our fingertips.

We already have the technology we need to drastically reduce emissions, including replacing coal and gas power stations, with clean and cheap renewable energy backed by storage technologies.

We can protect natural habitats and bring wildlife back from the brink of extinction.

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And the farmers I know want to be part of this, not only because farmers love their homes, but because healthy landscapes are more productive and profitable.

And everyone can also make choices each day that benefits the farming system when we sit down to a meal.

By choosing to eat local, seasonal, nutrient-dense and native foods, eating more plants and less meats, paying a fair price for food, and refusing to waste food - we go a long way in addressing the climate and environmental challenges we face.

We must protect this incredible country and look after its wildlife and wild places. In doing so we will reap a multitude of benefits and have a future we can truly look forward to.

But we must aim high and go fast.

Because no one wants to hear "tick, tock ... boom".