Petersen, ElizabethSchilizzi, StevenBennett, David2010-10-282011-04-192010-10-282011-04-19Petersen, E., Schilizzi, S. & Bennett, D. (2002). An economic assessment of the role of commercial tree crops to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality in predominantly grazing systems of south-western Australia. International and Development Economics Paper 02-8. Canberra, ACT: Crawford School of Economics and Government, The Australian National University.http://hdl.handle.net/10440/1221Contributed paper presented at the 46th Annual Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Canberra, 13th – 15th February 2002The results of this analysis show that a long-term tree crop plantation is effective at reducing carbon emissions from a predominantly grazing farming system. However, if the plantations are destumped, much of the carbon will be returned to the atmosphere in time, in which case benefits are confined to their ability to ‘buy time’ for the development of less-polluting technologies. The accreditation of commercial tree crops may provide a socially and politically feasible solution for medium-term environmental policy. The benefits of the policy would be strengthened if implemented in conjunction with salinity abatement policy.28 pagesAuthor owns the copyright. Permission granted to archive the paper and make it publicly availableGreenhouse gas abatementcommercial treeswhole-farm modelling2002-02-13