Albanese government takes on EU over deforestation beef ban

The European Union’s new deforestation regulation could put Australian farmers in the same category as those razing and burning the Amazon.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The Albanese government fears Australian meat exports will be on the chopping block under a new European law aimed at cracking down on imports linked to destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

Due to come into effect in December, the controversial import regulation requires exporters sending certain products, including meat, into the European Union to prove it was not produced on a property where deforestation has occurred.

Defining what constitutes deforestation has become a contentious topic as industries, conservationists and politicians wait to test the application of the regulation.

Australian farmers are worried land management practices used for clearing regrowth or pushing trees to feed livestock could be ruled out, putting the $130m European beef export market at risk.

The government has raised concerns with the EU about potential consequences and called for a delay. Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the law, and differing definitions of deforestation, had created confusion in the beef sector.

“There is, understandably, very real concern about what that will mean for Australian businesses that are either already exporting to Europe, or want to have the opportunity to do so in the future,” Senator Watt said. “The Australian government’s strong view is that it won’t, and should not, impact Australian beef exports.

“I acknowledge that there is a lot of uncertainty and confusion within the industry about what this rule will mean for our producers going forward.”

Speaking at the Beef2024 industry event in Rockhampton, central Queensland, Senator Watt said he had written to the EU Commissioner for the Environment outlining Australia’s concerns with the potential impact of the regulation on trade.

“I have requested that the EU Commissioner delay its implementation until all requirements are fully understood and to avoid any adverse impact on our agriculture trade,” he said.

Tree clearing has been a sensitive political issue in Queensland, which is home to 45 per cent of Australia’s cattle, for the past decade, resulting in strict vegetation management laws.

Farmers reject claims the state is a “deforestation hotspot” and say allegations of forest clearing are actually farmers managing regrowth or woody weeds, which can show up on satellite monitoring systems as cleared land.

The industry fears it will be captured by the law, which is intended to crack down on more extreme cases of deforestation.

Cattle Australia, which represents the grass-fed beef industry, will release its own definition of deforestation on Thursday.

While the EU leads the way in introducing a deforestation regulation, businesses and banks are already forming their own policies and it is expected other governments will follow suit.

The meat sector has worked to improve its environmental credentials, setting up the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework to outline emissions reduction goals and monitor improvements.

Last week, a CSIRO review found the red meat sector had reduced its emissions by 78 per cent between 2005 and 2021.