Associate Tina Bell collecting ash from bushfire affected forest in Berowra Valley, north of Sydney.
Associate Tina Bell collecting ash from bushfire affected forest in Berowra Valley, north of Sydney. Associate Professor Tina Bell and Chuan Huang from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences call on more support for farmers to protect their land and livelihoods. A new report by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia and researchers at the University of Sydney estimates the 2019-20 bushfires cost Australian agriculture between $4 billion and $5 billion. This massive hit to farmers and the food sector represents between 6 and 8 percent of agricultural gross domestic product (GDP). Costs include damage to farm buildings and equipment, and a reduction in farmland values (estimated at $2 billion to $3 billion); loss of crops and more than 100,000 livestock deaths (about $2 billion); and health impacts from smoke inhalation by farmers and other food workers (at least $279 million). Co-author Associate Professor Tina Bell said: "Australia relies on agriculture for both domestic food supply and international trade. We need to protect this industry by doing everything in our power to reduce the devastating impact bushfires can have on production, landscapes and livelihoods." Associate Professor Bell is a fire ecologist in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences.
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