Rural industry risks being left behind unless it quickly engages the debate on billion dollar carbon trading in Australia, according to a Queensland emissions trading specialist Rod Glass.

Carbon trading could be a double edged sword for the bush with potential credits for preserving vegetation and penalties for livestock gas emissions.

Mr Glass, director of the Brisbane-based company Carbon House, took his call to action to producer workshops on carbon credits organised by Leading Sheep in Goondiwindi and Charleville last week.

“Carbon trading policy is now being set, but there is still wriggle room for agriculture because governments basically do not know how to handle the rural sector,” said Mr Glass who is director of the Brisbane-based company Carbon House.

“The level of knowledge about carbon trading in the bush is nowhere near where it should be. Producers have to start getting up to speed now to protect their interests.”

With carbon credit trading likely to be worth in the vicinity of $2.5 billion the stakes were high for every business in Australia, Mr Glass said.

He said western producers should be wary of relying on abundant stands of vegetation to offset their carbon footprint.

“There has to be extreme caution exercised in linking carbon sinks to land title,” Mr Glass said.

Emerging technologies to control methane emissions from sheep and cattle could provide opportunities for carbon offsets.

Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries extension officer Tony Hamilton, who organised the Goondiwindi workshop, said there had been extremely positive feedback from the presentation.

“Everyone attending was keen to learn about carbon trading. Producers know little about how the system will operate and the impact it will have on the grazing sector.

“They were pleased to get some factual information on this issue.”

The need for the rural sector to become active and have a voice in shaping carbon trading outcomes quickly became apparent, Mr Hamilton said.

There was concern about the models which may be used for measuring methane emissions from farm animals.

Producers were also wary about decisions being made in Canberra which could affect their livelihoods. There was a feeling Australian farmers needed to be better prepared than their counterparts in New Zealand where legislation had been introduced.

A highlight of the Queensland workshops was the opportunity for producers to use a carbon credit calculator to estimate the carbon footprint of their own enterprise.

Leading Sheep is an Australian Wool Innovation project in partnership with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and supported by AgForce. It targets the adoption of new technologies and practices to increase the productivity and profitability of the Queensland industry.

For more information, contact Tony Hamilton on 46716708 or email Anthony.Hamilton@dpi.qld.gov.au or Rod Glass on 0447 739 935.