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Increasing Food Production Sustainably in a Changing Climate: Understanding the Pressures and Potential

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Food Security in Australia

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Abstract

Australian agriculture is faced with the dilemma of increasing food production for a growing domestic and world population while decreasing environmental impacts and supporting the social and economic future of regional communities. The challenge for farmers is compounded by declining rates of productivity growth which have been linked to changes in climate and decreasing investment in agricultural research. The answer must lie in understanding the ecological functionality of landscapes and matching management of agricultural systems and use of natural resources to landscape capacity in a changing climate. A simplified mixed grain and livestock farm case study is used to illustrate the challenges of assessing the potential for shifts in land allocation between commodities to achieve sustainable intensification of nutrition production. This study highlights the risks associated with overly-simplistic solutions and the need for increased investment in research to inform the development of practical strategies for increasing food production in Australian agro-ecosystems while managing the impacts of climate change and addressing climate change mitigation policies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Beverley Henry & Richard Conant

  2. Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    John Carter

  3. Meat and Livestock Australia Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Veronique Droulez

  4. Institute for Future Enviroinments at Queenlsand University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Peter Grace

Authors
  1. Beverley Henry
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  2. Richard Conant
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  3. John Carter
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  4. Veronique Droulez
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  5. Peter Grace
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Beverley Henry .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. 17 The Grange, East Malvern, 3145, Victoria, Australia

    Quentin Farmar-Bowers

  2. , School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, 2678, New South Wales, Australia

    Vaughan Higgins

  3. , School of Environmental Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, 2640, New South Wales, Australia

    Joanne Millar

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Henry, B., Conant, R., Carter, J., Droulez, V., Grace, P. (2013). Increasing Food Production Sustainably in a Changing Climate: Understanding the Pressures and Potential. In: Farmar-Bowers, Q., Higgins, V., Millar, J. (eds) Food Security in Australia. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4484-8_13

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