The carbon industry is a hot topic so where better to learn about carbon farming than in heavily timbered Beechworth.
Hosted by North East Catchment Management Authority and supported by Landcare Australia, the Farming Carbon 2023 Conference on February 28 attracted more than 130 attendees who heard from industry representatives, carbon experts and economists.
North East CMA chief executive officer Katie Warner introduced the speakers who covered soils, trees, productivity, contracts and farm accounting.
Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Council chair Alexandra Gartmann opened the day with some hard truths.
“We know to produce food and fibre we omit greenhouse gases, but we, the agriculture industry, are now responsible for one quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions,” Ms Gartmann said.
“In the very near future, agriculture will overtake other sectors and be one of the top three emitters and that’s not a medal podium we want to stand on.”
Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines spoke of the potential for the Federal Government to weigh into this situation and help farmers translate the science of carbon.
“Farmers want to be part of the solution; they want to reduce their emissions, diversify their income in the carbon market, improve biodiversity and improve productivity,” Dr Haines said.
To achieve this, Dr Haines said she was determined to see the federal budget fund 200 agricultural extension officers for regional Australia.
She believes extension officers can play a critical role in working with farmers to adopt technology, product and practices to lower emissions and access nature repair programs for biodiversity credits.
Switching perspectives from government to industry, the audience heard from Sandy Gain, the climate and sustainable sourcing lead for Mars Petcare Australia.
Ms Gain admitted to suffering, “a bit of climate anxiety” and walked people through the role consumer preference had in driving change.
“Combatting climate change is now considered a shared responsibility. Most people believe individuals, businesses and governments need to act,” she said.
Ms Gain used the Mars Petcare supply chain to show how companies look at their climate impact and how they take responsibility for reducing emissions along that supply chain.
Riverine Plains is one of the farmer groups working with Mars Petcare to deliver the Cool Farm Initiative, which aims to reduce on-farm greenhouse gas emissions and benefit all partners along the value chain.
In the livestock space, methane appears to be the problem child that industry groups such as Meat & Livestock Australia are working towards remedying.
MLA project manager Julia Waite introduced the audience to MLA’s Carbon Neutral 2030 project.
With $140 million committed to reaching the target, the red meat industry means business and wants to work with farmers to optimise productivity, market access and carbon markets to create a more sustainable sector.
For the uninitiated, the line-up of speakers stimulated the grey matter and activated a farming carbon to-do list.
For those in the room who were well versed in carbon-speak, Professor Richard Ekard went on to answer all technical queries around the science of carbon and its role in the agricultural industry.