Australia drought: The 'unlikely' group calling for climate action

"Who better than capitalist conservative farmers to push the government on climate change?" asks Verity Morgan-Schmidt, who grew up on a farm and now heads lobby group Farmers for Climate Action.

Farmers travelled to Parliament House in Canberra to protest in September.

It's an issue that has rapidly shifted opinions in recent years and according to cattle producer Will Graham, farmers are emerging as somewhat unlikely campaigners in this space.

"Five, 10 years ago, no farmers would've believed in climate change - they were saying these are just weather cycles," he says. "Now they accept it, they talk about it - and they want action.”

The shift, they say, is because farmers are seeing the devastating impacts of extreme weather on their land, as a prolonged drought cripples vast swathes of the nation.

Read the story from the BBC  by Gary Nunn - “Australia drought: The 'unlikely' group calling for climate action.”

Farmers for Climate Change gets a chief executive

THE NATIONAL group Farmers for Climate Action has appointed a its inaugural chief executive.

Verity Morgan-Schmidt.

Verity Morgan-Schmidt, who resides on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, has stepped into the role.

Farmers for Climate Action is an associate member of the National Farmers Federation. It reports 2000 members from across the country.

It is focused on lobbying for political action to tackle global warming, investment in research, development and implementation of climate adaptation measures, increasing on-farm use of renewable energy and developing opportunities for producers in carbon markets.

Read Mick Foley’s story on farmonline - “Farmers for Climate Change gets a chief executive.”