Global climate change, community expectations, and a greater focus on sustainable practices are changing the way we think about agriculture in Australia.
Consumers are demanding better insights into how their food is produced and even supermarkets are going carbon neutral.
Carbon farming is one way for Australian primary producers to meet these needs, while still providing considerable benefits to your agribusiness.
The benefits of carbon farming
For primary producers the benefits of carbon farming include:
- improved productivity of your farm by replenishing soil organic matter and the carbon content of your soil
- improving water quality and reducing soil erosion
- allow increased diversity of land-use
- generating carbon credits which can be sold to generate diversified income, or inset against other farm business emissions to go towards being carbon neutral.
In addition, achieving carbon neutral status can provide you increased income, through access to premium markets and potentially lower rates of finance.
How our carbon farming service can help
Continuing our 185-year history of helping Australian farmers manage and improve their businesses, we offer eligible primary producers a Carbon Farming Service.
Combining our renowned best-practice agronomy and livestock production services, with the knowledge of our carbon farming specialists, we enable eligible properties to participate in the Australian Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative and generate carbon credits. We’ll even assist you to cut through the red tape when you lodge your application.
Unlike other services, our carbon farming service is based on an upfront fee-for-service model, so you keep the full benefit of your carbon credits earned.
Frequently asked questions
Carbon farming is the process of measuring the capture and storage of carbon in your agricultural business.
Carbon is the backbone of all life on earth and flows through the environment in the carbon cycle. The major forms of significance to agriculture are soil organic carbon (C), methane (CH4) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2). For accounting purposes, all forms are converted into CO2 equivalents.
There are numerous ways to participate in carbon farming, but the simplest way is to generate an overall baseline carbon footprint of your business.
This allows you to show how much carbon you are storing or emitting. Your results can then be used to focus on areas to reduce your footprint, and once your footprint is suitably reduced, be used to market your produce with an associated footprint.
The next stage in carbon farming is to register a project to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU’s) for insetting, or sale. This involves registration with the Federal Governments Clean Energy Regulator.
Work with our carbon farming specialist to determine your eligibility and decide what type of project you would like to conduct. We will assist you to register your project with the Clean Energy Regulator.
Once your project is registered, you implement the management changes on farm to increase carbon sequestration/decrease emissions (in line with the project plan). When subsequent measurements are due, we will support you to complete the relevant measurement and reporting to determine the generation of ACCUs.
There are several approved methods for registered carbon farming projects, but the most relevant to broadacre agriculture are:
- the measurement of soil carbon sequestration in agricultural systems method
- beef cattle herd management
- vegetation methods.
- Savannah burning (Northern Australia).
For full eligibility details refer to the Clean Energy Regulator website.
Our carbon farming service is based on a fee for service model. This includes all fees associated with developing the project for registration, baseline measurements and support during reporting to generate credits. The exact cost will vary depending on:
- the scale of the project,
- the methodology
- the frequency of measurement and application for credits.
After an initial meeting to determine eligibility, we will provide a detailed quote, tailored to your enterprise.
We differ from other providers in that we do not take a portion of the credits as payment for service. While this means upfront cost prior to generating credits, it also means all the credits are yours to do with what you wish. We believe as the carbon market develops and prices increase, this puts you in a favourable position as you are not having to forfeit credits for the life of the project.
Registering a carbon farming project has the potential to value add to your property.
Soil carbon sequestration and vegetation methods are registered against the lands title and the current owner. As such there is potential to transfer the project to the new owner upon sale of the property.
Enquiries
Please complete this form and one of our carbon farming specialists will be in touch.