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Australia: Farmers rise up against the commodities boom

December 24, 2012

Australia is the world's number one exporter of iron ore and coke. And there's no end in sight to the boom. The next export hit is waiting in the wings: coal seam gas. The state of Queensland is known for its productive agricultural land. But recently gas wells have been installed everywhere. A handful of international energy giants have divided the country up among themselves. 90 percent of the fertile farmland in southeast Queensland has been approved for gas production in recent years. There'd be nothing standing in the way of the raw materials boom down under - if it weren't for the region's defiant farmers. Many say there's a basic issue at stake: Should Australia focus on feeding the world's hunger for raw materials - or the hunger for locally-grown food?

https://p.dw.com/p/15BUf

A handful of international energy giants have divided the country up among themselves. 90 percent of the fertile farmland in southeast Queensland has been approved for gas production in recent years. There'd be nothing standing in the way of the raw materials boom down under - if it weren't for the region's defiant farmers. Many say there's a basic issue at stake: Should Australia focus on feeding the world's hunger for raw materials - or the hunger for locally-grown food?