CDU researcher finds farmers evolving in battle against extreme weather and climate change

In the fight against climate change, Aussie farmers are having to evolve and change tact to remain viable.

Farmers are learning to adapt in the battle against climate change. Picture: Supplied (Lake Nash)

Research out of Charles Darwin University has found farmers are more prepared and more astutely managing climate change by making strategic decisions, such as when they plant their crops.

The research, conducted by PhD student and agricultural scientist David McKenzie, found farmers needed to adapt to extreme weather events that are causing social, economic, and ecological issues to farming and food production.

Mr McKenzie, who spoke with numerous farmers from Eastern Australia, across a range of livestock and cropping industries, said farmers were on the front lines of tackling climate change.

Bullo River Station, Northern Territory. Picture: Supplied

“These farmers are at the cutting edge of responding to current challenges and preparing for future challenges through innovative transformations,” he said.

“The transformations arise from game changing events of mini crises such as heatwaves and droughts, because things aren’t working well or from the social influence of group participation and farm advisors.

“Farmers saw massive rainfalls that would last for one month then they wouldn’t see rain for four to five months at a time, so they needed to change the way they grazed in order to harvest the rainfall.

“The farmers adapted their processes to better accommodate growing crops in the non-growing season rainfall episodes and intense hot dry season rainfall events outside the usual growing period.”

Lake Nash Station in the Northern Territory, near the Queensland border. Picture: Supplied

Financial stability and cash reserves were also important for farmers to successfully contend with climate change, Mr McKenzie said.

“The farmers I interviewed had a range of different strategies and forms of financial reserves to support them during the times when the climate is challenging,” he said.

“For example, one farmer sells stock to provide equity, another has money invested with a financial advisor in a farm management deposit, while others reinvest profits back into the farm.

“Overall, what is clear from this research is that farm businesses need to be innovative, strategically positioned and managed to keep in step with the adaptive demands of evolving climate change.”