Recent extreme weather in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania demonstrates Australian agriculture's frailty when faced with forces beyond its control.

Through a colossal chain of rain events triggered by La Niña and exacerbated by climate change, food producers are left staring at ruined crops while consumers face rising food prices.

Tasmanian farmers continue to struggle with the never-ending dance of drought, deluge, erratic weather and climate change.

Australian Greens Acting Leader, Senator Christine Milne, today congratulated David Shoebridge, Jan Barham and Jeremy Buckingham on their election to the NSW Legislative Council following the final distribution of preferences.

"David, Jan, Jeremy, Cate, John and Jamie will be a strong Greens voice in both houses of the NSW Parliament," Senator Milne said.

"I am particularly delighted that Jeremy Buckingham has won a close-fought tussle for one of two final seats in the Upper House.

"NSW will now hear Jeremy's common-sense rural Green voice for the next eight years.

The Australian Greens today welcomed an agreement by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to recall the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests to review the scientific evidence regarding whether or not the Asian honey bee can be eradicated from Australia.

The Australian Greens today expressed concerns about the Carbon Farming Initiative legislation introduced into the House of Representatives today and foreshadowed seeking support to refer the bill to a Senate Inquiry.

The concerns relate to both the potential of the bill to repeat the distortions in the land and water market caused by managed investment schemes and the potential to undermine the effectiveness and efficiency of the pollution price.

The Greens today welcomed Senate support for an inquiry into the recent decision not to attempt to eradicate the Asian honey bee, an invasive species which presents a very significant threat to Australia's honey production and natural environment.

"Whilst there is any possibility that we can eradicate this bee, the government must intervene to support the Queensland government with the resources necessary to do so," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said

Sydney Morning Herald columnist, Elizabeth Farrelly recently hit the nail on the head when asking why we are happy to play gastronomic Russian Roulette by eating without question any morsel offered us on a plate.
She was questioning why many of us blissfully indulge in healthy looking meals without any thought for the chemistry set that lies within, and was dismayed that a recent government-commissioned review of food labelling was happy for this to continue unabated.

The Tasmanian and Federal government's decision to pull the plug on eradicating the Asian honey bee incursion in Cairns will have dire consequences for Tasmanian apiarists, farmers and much of our wildlife if not reinstated, says Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Christine Milne.

With beekeepers from around Australia converging on Canberra, the Greens today once again called on the Gillard government to step up and fund efforts to eradicate the invasive Asian honey bee and to protect our food security and Tasmania's unique honey industry while it still has the chance.

With beekeepers from around Australia converging on Canberra, the Greens today once again called on the Gillard government to step up efforts to eradicate the invasive Asian honey bee and to protect our food security and this much-loved industry while it still has the chance.

The Asian honey bee incursion at Cairns presents a very significant threat to Australia's honey production and natural environment and the government must urgently review its disputed conclusion that the bee cannot be eradicated.

The Asian honey bee incursion at Cairns presents a very significant threat to Australia's honey production and natural environment and the Greens today called on the Gillard government to review its conclusion that the bee cannot be eradicated.

"Whilst there is any possibility that we can eradicate this bee, the Gillard government must intervene to support the Queensland government with the resources necessary to do so," Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said

The Australian Greens today welcomed the referral of the current milk discounting controversy to the Senate Economics Committee, following a motion by Senators Xenophon, Colbeck and Milne, but warned that this inquiry must deliver for dairy farmers or risk undermining confidence in the parliament.