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Dr Elaine Ingham keynote speaker.
Dr Elaine Ingham is one of the worlds leading experts on using composts and compost teas to improve soil fertility and food quality. She will hold a workshop on the morning of July 23 showing how to composting can sequester carbon into the soil and reverse the 25% of Australia's greenhouse gases created by Agriculture.

Climate change is one of the major issues affecting all of us on our planet. For the first time in recorded history the glacier on Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro is melting and the ice at the North Pole had melted. Another first was recorded in North America - Lake Erie did not freeze over this winter. 2005 recorded the hottest average temperatures on record and produced the most destructive hurricane season ever. In Greenland the ice is melting three times faster than the early 1990s. Experts from NASA are predicting that the intensity of major storms will increase even more as a result of rising ocean temperatures.

Experts expect that climate change will have a negative effect on our food supply due to more frequent adverse weather events leading to increasing crop failures. The security of our food supply concerns all of us.

So what has organic agriculture to do with climate change? Published studies show that organic farming systems are more resilient to the predicted weather extremes. Organic systems have higher yields than conventional farming systems in weather extremes such as floods and droughts.

Very importantly organic agriculture can help reverse climate change. Published peer review scientific studies in North America and Europe show that best practice organic agriculture, not only emits less greenhouse gases than conventional agriculture, the carbon sequestration from increasing soil organic matter leads to a net reduction in greenhouse gases.

According to the Rodale Institute "U.S. agriculture as currently practiced emits a total of 1.5 trillion pounds of CO₂ annually into the atmosphere. Converting all U.S. cropland to organic would not only wipe out agriculture's massive emission problem, by eliminating energy-costly chemical fertilizers, it would actually give us a net increase in soil carbon of 734 billion pounds." On a worldwide scale, if we had hundreds of millions of hectares of organic farming it would equate to removing billions of tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere.

In order to increase the knowledge and debate around the benefits of organic agriculture for reducing greenhouse gases, the topic has been selected as the theme of the Third National Organic Conference, to be hosted by the OFA at Darling Harbour, Sydney, Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd July 2006 in conjunction with the Organic Expo.

For More Information Contact: Mary Hackett, Ph: 02 9319 1228 Fx: 02 9453 3499
Mob: 0414 306 689 mary@shevents.com.au Web www.ofa.org.au

The Conference will feature keynote speakers who will show how best practice organic systems reduce green house gases and can reverse some of the causes of climate change. It will focus on two main areas:

1. Organic Soil Carbon

How to sequester greenhouse gases to increase humus and other soil organic compounds, soil health, organic soil nutrition, water retention, disease suppression and the quality and quantity of farm yields.
2. Efficient and low input farming systems

How to reduce greenhouse gas outputs through efficient and low input farming systems. This is a critical section as these systems and techniques will also result in substantial savings in farmers’ production costs.
3. Surviving Climate Change

Research showing how organic farming systems are more resilient to the predicted weather extremes will help producers plan, implement and adapt so they can continue to produce quality produce.

Best Practice Soil Health Workshops
A significant feature will be workshops on Day 2 facilitated by experts in organic and biodynamic farming systems on the best methods to increase soil organic matter to achieve better soil structure, steady nutrient release, better water retention, superior soil drainage, aeration and reverse soil loss.

These soils have high levels of beneficial micro organisms that suppress diseases. ‘unlock’ the insoluble forms of phosphorous, nitrogen and other nutrients making them available to crop on an ongoing basis.

This conference will help farmers and gardeners reduce their production costs, increase their profitability and yields as well as ensure a positive contribution to one of the worlds major problems. The conference will be essential to consumers, farmers, researchers, scientists and policy makers concerned about climate change.

Early Bird Registration
Registration Fees - Early Bird and discounts for OFA members

1. Full Conference Fee $400
2. OFA members $350
3. Early Bird $250 – extended to July 18 2006

For More Information Contact: Mary Hackett, Smeaton Hackett Events
PO Box 498 Frenchs Forest NSW 1640
Ph: 02 9319 1228 Fx: 02 9453 3499 Mob: 0414 306 689
mary@shevents.com.au
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Please submit summaries: ‘Organics - Solutions to Climate Change’ chair@ofa.com.au

ACCOMMODATION
The conference organisers have arranged discount rates in conjunction with the Organic Expo. There is a range of accommodation options from low priced Back Packers through to Five Star. Please discuss your requirements with them to arrange accommodation that will suit your budget and other needs.
You can visit Organic Expo 2006 Accommodation Link to see some of the options