Government should invest research funding in high priority areas such as soil carbon sequestration. The report also recommends the Government to develop a strategy to capture, evaluate and disseminate farmer driven innovations such as the use of perennial grasses, holistic management grazing, engineered woodlands and other options that have a significant capacity to increase the resilience and productivity of farm enterprises.
 
The bipartisan report’s 15 recommendations include:

• supporting rural counselling and support groups, and placing funding for such groups on a permanent and regular basis;
• establishing a national Continuously Operating Reference Station network;
• increasing investment for research into energy efficiency in the agricultural sector;
• increasing funding for research into improving weather and climate forecasting at a seasonal and regional level;
• a commitment to funding for climate change research pertaining to Australia’s agricultural industries, with attention to regional needs as well as national priorities;
• effective national coordination of the research effort;
• better integration of local and regional organisations into the overall response to climate change, including providing additional funding to local and regional organisations;
• the use of targeted, industry and issue specific, incentives, to facilitate adaptation; and
• placing funding for local and regional organisations supporting adaptation upon a permanent and regular basis.