Le Gal, Elodie --- "Climate change and invasive species law in agriculture: a southern hemisphere view of key legal and institutional issues in Australia" [2017] ELECD 505; in Angelo, Jane Mary; Du Plesis, Anél (eds), "Research Handbook on Climate Change and Agricultural Law" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2017) 135

Book Title: Research Handbook on Climate Change and Agricultural Law

Editor(s): Angelo, Jane Mary; Du Plesis, Anél

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781784710637

Section: Chapter 6

Section Title: Climate change and invasive species law in agriculture: a southern hemisphere view of key legal and institutional issues in Australia

Author(s): Le Gal, Elodie

Number of pages: 32

Abstract/Description:

Agricultural industries such as livestock and crop production provide food and raw materials to billions of people. They generate income for households, including 70 percent of the world’s poor who live in rural areas. To ensure food security and maintain agricultural productivity while sustaining natural resources environmental services from agricultural lands need to remain sustainable. However, over recent decades, agricultural assets have been dramatically impacted by a range of human-induced environmental threats, among which are climate change and invasive species. This chapter explores some key relationships between climate change, invasive species law, and agriculture. While invasive species law can contribute to climate change adaptation by protecting agricultural values from harmful biological infestations, significant institutional, governance and methodological challenges are likely to jeopardise its effectiveness. While these various challenges are discussed in the Australian context, this chapter intends to provide broader insights into the institutional improvements likely to be required to improve invasive species law in other parts of the world to protect agricultural systems from biological infestations aggravated by climate change. It also highlights further research directions to better reconcile invasive species law with sustainable agriculture and livelihoods while building an effective low-carbon economy. Key Words: climate change, invasive species, governance challenges