Water and Agriculture in Australia
According to Ross Young, Executive Director of the Water Services Association of Australia, 66% of all water supply in Australia is used in agriculture.
Yet, Jared Diamond, in Collapse, questions whether Australia should be in the business of agriculture at all.
The agricultural industries of grapes (both for fresh consumption and wine), vegetables and fruit make up about 50% of the agricultural value-added, yet consume only just over 10% of Australia's water.
This makes sense - wine can be flogged to wealthy Asians and Europeans at a decent price, but commodities like rice and cotton are marginal.
I propose that agriculture should be continued for domestic consumption only, apart from the 3 mentioned above.
*The National Interest; Presented by Peter Mares; interview with Ross Young, Executive Director of the Water Services Association of Australia; Sunday 14 January 2007
Yet, Jared Diamond, in Collapse, questions whether Australia should be in the business of agriculture at all.
The agricultural industries of grapes (both for fresh consumption and wine), vegetables and fruit make up about 50% of the agricultural value-added, yet consume only just over 10% of Australia's water.
This makes sense - wine can be flogged to wealthy Asians and Europeans at a decent price, but commodities like rice and cotton are marginal.
I propose that agriculture should be continued for domestic consumption only, apart from the 3 mentioned above.
*The National Interest; Presented by Peter Mares; interview with Ross Young, Executive Director of the Water Services Association of Australia; Sunday 14 January 2007
posted by Patrick Henry at 21:57
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