Agriculture and climate change
Climate change is a significant challenge facing the agriculture sector. As the climate becomes warmer and drier, it threatens the productivity and sustainability of the sector. Climate change will affect water availability and the state can expect more extreme events such as heatwaves, storms, bushfires, droughts and flood.
These changes threaten lives and assets and will increasingly test the resilience of the primary production sector in many ways.
We know that many in the sector are already managing the impacts of these changes.
At the same time, agricultural activities significantly contribute to our state’s overall emissions – the third-largest share of Victoria’s emissions in 2023.
Responding to climate change also presents significant opportunities for Victorian agriculture. The Strategy for Agriculture in Victoria includes commitments to protect and enhance the future of our sector by ensuring it is well placed to reduce emissions, prepare for climate risk, and take advantage of these opportunities. This includes a commitment to position Victorian agriculture as a leader in low-emissions agriculture and enable industries to be productive and profitable under a changed climate.
Reducing emissions from the agriculture sector and adapting to climate change is complex. We know that many in the sector are already taking action, while others need more support to get there.
Increasingly, our global export markets are signalling that trading partners will need to demonstrate they are reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For Victoria to remain a leading exporter of food and fibre, industry and government will need to work together to meet these consumer expectations.
The Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Statement documents a shared vision between:
- the Victorian Government
- Victoria’s agriculture sector, including:
- Dairy Australia
- Birchip Cropping Group
- Woolworths
- Meat and Livestock Australia
- the Victorian Farmers Federation
- the Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Council (VACCC).
Released in 2022, it says:
We are committed to a profitable and productive agriculture sector that takes ambitious action on climate change.
We are working together to accelerate climate change solutions, including taking steps to:
- understand and reduce our emissions
- adapt to climate risks, and
- capture future opportunities.
View the Statement:
The Climate Change Strategy 2026–2030
The Climate Change Strategy 2026–2030 sets the course for cutting Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions by 45% to 50% by 2030, and by 75% to 80% by 2035, compared to 2005 emissions.
The Strategy outlines an approach to climate action that benefits the Victorian economy and community.
This includes an updated suite of sector pledges right across the economy. The pledges outline how government will work with each sector to reduce Victoria’s emissions, including those from agricultural activities.
Agriculture Sector Pledge 2026–2030
The Agriculture Sector Emissions Reduction Pledge 2026-2030 establishes the next steps for the Victorian Government to partner with industry towards a profitable and productive agricultural sector that is taking ambitious climate action.
The pledge outlines commitments to:
- deliver high-priority research with a focus on solutions for livestock methane emissions
- accelerate commercialisation of innovative low-emissions solutions as soon as they are proven safe, effective and are available
- continue building knowledge and skills across the sector and support uptake of solutions that benefit farm business productivity, reduce emissions and build climate resilience
- collaborate with industry and other jurisdictions to develop standards and certifications that provide farmers with clarity and reward progress.
The pledge provides further information on these actions. You can also sign up here to stay up to date as this program progresses: Register for updates
This is the second agriculture sector pledge and builds on progress made by the sector to date and actions delivered under the first Agriculture Sector Pledge (2021–2025).
Register for updatesRelated actions for the agriculture sector
Agriculture activities are not the only source or sink of emissions on-farm – there are also opportunities to reduce emissions or sequester carbon through energy, transport, waste and land use, land use change, and forestry (LULUCF). There are opportunities for the agriculture sector across the Climate Change Strategy and other sector pledges.
Victorian farmers may be interested other programs such as the BushBank Program, Trees on Farms Program and the Victorian Energy Upgrades Program.
The Victorian Carbon Farming Outreach Program provides another avenue for private landholders to reduce emissions and build resilience to a changing climate.
Government is also supporting the agriculture and other primary production sectors to adapt to the impacts of climate change through the Primary Production Adaptation Action Plan.
Primary production adaptation action plans
In 2022, the Victorian Government released the Primary Production Adaptation Action Plan 2022–2026, along with 7 other adaptation action plans. They covered systems identified as either highly vulnerable to climate change impacts or critical to Victoria’s climate resilience. These plans guide government action and help institutions, businesses and individuals to respond to our changing climate.
The Primary Production Adaptation Action Plan 2022–2026 is the Victorian Government’s 5-year plan to support agriculture, fisheries and forestry to manage climate risks and build long-term resilience, productivity and competitiveness in a changing climate.
Read the Primary Production Adaptation Action Plan 2022–2026:
- Primary Production Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan (2022–2026)
[PDF File - 5.2 MB] - Primary Production Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan (2022–2026)
[MS Word Document - 4.9 MB]
The Climate Action Act 2017 requires the Government to develop adaptation action plans for key systems every 5 years.
The draft Primary Production Adaptation Action Plan 2027–2031
Work is underway on the next primary production adaptation action plan for the 2027–2031 cycle.
Public consultation on the draft plan was completed in July 2026. A copy of the draft plan and the engagement report are available on the Engage Victoria website.
Feedback from the consultation will inform the final Primary Production Adaptation Action Plan 2027-2031, expected to be released in 2027.