Beef industry carbon neutral: report

Australia's $8 billion beef industry has welcomed research that shows it is almost
carbon neutral.
The industry has been subjected to advertising campaigns and allegations that it
says are misleading.
Queensland Primary Industries Department researchers have done a preliminary
analysis of the net carbon position of the state's beef industry, concluding that
the net carbon position at the farm level is likely to be close to zero.
Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin said the report was encouraging, but he
stressed it was not definitive.
"The report is an attempt to help us understand the issue of net carbon position in
relation to agriculture," Mr Mulherin said.
AgForce president John Cotter welcomed the report.
"It confirms what a lot of producers already believed," he said.
Mr Cotter said the report, which had "enormous credibility" helped to redress the
balance in the debate over the cattle industry's emissions.
"A lot of negative information has been put out there without the substantial
science behind it, and now this report can nullify a lot of that," Mr Cotter said.
AgForce Cattle director Howard Smith said the report supported AgForce's stance that
agriculture should be part of the climate change solution, not the problem.
"Beef producers have long been frustrated by incorrect information about our
industry which ... suggests the production of livestock is somehow environmentally
immoral," Mr Smith said.
"The beef industry has long held the belief it is carbon-neutral and in confirming
this position, the report provides the scientific verification necessary for
government and all stakeholders to continue to make sound on-property and policy
decisions going forward."