From Enviroweed list

10 October 2006

The economics of invasion

Australian consumers are losing $800 million a year due to invasive
plants.

A new study has found the nation loses one dollar in every seven of
its
farm income to weeds - and around a fifth of the burden is borne by
consumers.

Economist Associate Professor Jack Sinden of the Cooperative Research
Centre for Australian Weed Management says that a study of
Australia's
twelve main agricultural activities shows an alarming loss of income
due
to pest plants.

"Around $4 billion is lost, either in direct loss of production, or
in
costs associated with controlling unwanted plant species," says
Professor Sinden.
"These costs are borne by all Australians, consumers as well as
producers."

The worst-hit agricultural industries are beef, wheat, and wool. The
beef and veal industry alone loses up to $880 million per year to
pasture weeds.

The annual losses for the main industry groups studied were:

· Crops $m 1518
· Livestock $m 2409

"Each industry suffers the effects of unwanted plants in a different
way," he says. "In the cropping industry, the main cost is in the
direct
control of pest species. But in the livestock industries, where
control
of weeds is very difficult in grazing lands, the yield losses are
very
high."

Prof. Sinden says an important element in the new study was an
analysis
of which sections of the community bore the greater part of the $4
billion annual loss.

"Eighty per cent of the loss is directly borne by the producers," he
says. "Twenty per cent is borne by consumers. In other words, weeds
are
forcing up the price of Australian food produce by 20%, and we
consumers
are paying for it."

Equally, Prof. Sinden says, expenditure on combatting invasive
plants is
money well spent, since weed management in Australia gives a very
good
return on investment.

For example, a recent study on the economics of biological control,
which is when weeds are controlled by insects or fungi or other
natural
means, showed that for every dollar spent in Australia in this way
since
1903, $23 was returned.

"Weed management returns a very high dollar in the long term for the
amount spent," he says.

"However, there is a big gap between what weed managers now do, and
what
we could do if more resources were available.

Weeds CRC director Dr Rachel McFadyen says this gap is likely to
remain
as long as the vast majority of Australians fail to appreciate the
real
impact of invasive plants and their true cost.

Dr McFadyen points to new data released during Landcare Week 2006
which
shows that 72% of 16 to 24-year-olds in cities have 'no or little
understanding' of farming. This city-country awareness gap makes it
politically difficult to get attention for rural issues like weeds,
she
says, even when the cost runs to billions of dollars a year and city
mums and dads are paying for it through higher food prices.

"It's even harder when we try to convince people that weeds are
damaging
the natural environment', she says.

"That's happening across very large areas and in many different ways,
but without a dollar figure to place on that impact most people,
including politicians, find the idea hard to grasp."

A new report prepared by the NSW Department of Environment and
Conservation and published by the CRC recently shows for the first
time
how at least half of the state's threatened native plants are now at
risk from weeds.

"This is not a one-off battle which we will win or lose. It is
probably
not technologically or economically possible to completely defeat
invading plants", says Dr McFadyen. "But as a nation we are doing
only a
very small fraction of what we know urgently needs to be done."

Professor Sinden says that a periodic survey is necessary to ensure
that
Australia's agriculture does not fall behind in controlling invasive
plants, as the costs of doing so are very high. He hopes to repeat
the
recent study within five years.

The economic impact of weeds in Australia is available from the Weeds
CRC at: www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/tech_series_8.pdf

Impact of weeds on threatened biodiversity in New South Wales is at:
http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/publications/index.html


More information from:
Associate Professor Jack Sinden,
Weeds CRC and University of New England
Phone: 02 6773 2293 (up to 3.00 pm Mon-Fri), or 02 6772 4995 (a.h.)
Dr Rachel McFadyen 0409 263 817 (pm until 5.00 Tues 10, and rest of
week)
Peter Martin, Weeds CRC, 08 8303 6693, 0429 830 366

www.weeds.crc.org.au

Images of weeds are available from rita.reitano@...