Ban land clearing motion to be voted on at Labor national conference

Labor's Environment Action Network (LEAN) will put forward a motion calling on the party to end all broad-scale land clearing before the next federal election.

The motion, which also calls for the end of native forest logging, has already been supported by more than 300 Labor branches.

LEAN will argue the change is necessary to retain European market access, pointing to the stalled European Union free-trade deal and its incoming deforestation laws.

In January, Nationals leader David Littleproud foreshadowed Labor would attempt to use the EU as "political cover" to enforce harsher land clearing laws.

"This is what we've always been concerned about, Labor looking for a stalking horse to bring in more restrictive laws for Australian farmers," Mr Littleproud said.

"If it's not the EU it'll be something else. They'll find another reason. This is their business model to bring in draconian laws, but look for someone else to blame for doing it."

Trade Minister Don Farrell confirmed deforestation in Australia was not a sticking point in FTA negotiations.

However, LEAN also cited the EU's move requiring all beef importers to verify their products "have not been produced on deforested or degraded land" within the next two years.

"FTA or not, Europe will not cop products that rely on deforestation... market access for our beef industry is under threat from our globally significant land-clearing rates," LEAN co-convener Felicity Wade said.

National Farmers' Federation president Fiona Simson blasted LEAN's "ill-informed attack on farmers".

"Dragging the EU FTA into their lobbying is absurd and a desperate scare tactic," Ms Simson said.

"Australia's environmental laws and record on land clearing will pass whatever scrutiny the EU throws our way. The suggestion that Australian farmers, who are world class producers, be excluded from a market on this basis is ludicrous."

NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin urged the conference delegates to remember their food came from farms, not supermarkets.

"Anything that makes it harder to produce food and clothing impacts all Australians," he said

"It's critical any changes to laws or regulation considered at the conference be done with farmers, not to farmers."

Mr Martin said no two landscapes were the same, which meant blanket bans would have unintended consequences, such as restricting land clearing for fire breaks and hazard reduction.

The Australia Conservation Foundation has backed LEAN's motion, with more than 250 scientists signing an open letter that states large-scale land clearing and native forest logging is "the single biggest threat to the nation's biodiversity".

The Australian agricultural industry has long argued the landscape and farming systems of the two continents were vastly different and importing EU land management standards was irrational.

"I don't believe that we should be able to take advice from the EU about land management, considering they have totally deforested their continent for hundreds of years," Mr Littleproud said.

"I don't think they're in any position to pass any moral judgement on any other country."

The NFF has demanded Australia be assessed as low risk under the EU's new deforestation laws, due to its strong science-based regulatory environment.

"That means we'll continue to be able to export, albeit with some added and unnecessary red tape that we're still working to understand," Ms Simson said.

"Australia's regulatory framework is some of the most stringent in the world, and we're seeing clearing rates continue to drop further each year.

"Evidence shows in Queensland clearing has dropped 50 per cent year on year and 80 per cent of what is being cleared is repeat management of woody regrowth required to maintain a healthy biodiversity balance."