Helping farm businesses continue to thrive in a changing climate while reducing emissions too is the aim of a new 5-year, $1.5 million project South West NRM is delivering with funding support from the Australian Government’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.
Through its ongoing Sustainable Agriculture program, South West NRM has spent the best part of a decade helping farmers remain profitable as they meet the modern-day challenge of improving sustainability in a lowered emissions world, all while battling a changing climate.
This new project called Farm Efficiencies and Sustainability Towards 2030 (FEaST), seeks to expand on achievements so far by introducing farmers to strategies for increased efficiencies that will serve the dual purpose of building business resilience to climate change and reducing emissions.
It was one of 54 projects across Australia announced today by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins.
In making the announcement, Minister Collins said: “Across Australia I have met so many farmers and landowners who want to be more sustainable, or who have already started on their sustainability journey, but need some support or guidance.
“These measures will help make farming more productive and profitable, better protect our environment, increase access to markets, strengthen our rural communities and further contribute to global food security.”
FEaST programs and activities will be rolled out by South West NRM to farmers with support from project partners over the next 3.5 years with a focus on pasture management techniques, enhancing on-farm biodiversity, food conservation and feed budgeting and improving water security.
Announcement of the project follows South West NRM’s appointment by the Australian Government last year to its national network of Sustainable Agriculture Facilitators (SAFs) charged with supporting farmers to remain profitable as they transition to more sustainable practices.
South West NRM CEO Dr Manda Page said the one of the organisation’s strategic objectives is to build resilience in agriculture locally.
“We work at the intersection of environmental science and farm gate realities,” Dr Page said.
“Over the past decade we have developed strong relationships with producers, grower groups, agricultural industry experts and researchers which now enables us to be an effective conduit for information sharing to help drive change.”
At a time when the impacts of climate change are reducing their profits, farmers have also found themselves in the front lines of the transition to a new low-emissions world with agriculture responsible for 16.8%* of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Agriculture was the most vulnerable sector to climate impact and changes in seasonal conditions had already reduced farm profits by an average 23%* over the past 20 years.
*Source – National Statement on Climate Change and Agriculture
“Our producers are critical to our ongoing food security while also performing a key role in achieving national emissions reduction targets so it is our very great honour to be able to support them as they navigate this terrain by providing clear and credible information where it is needed and learning opportunities to facilitate decision-making that solves problems,” Dr Page said.
For more information about this project visit our dedicated project page via the button below.
This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program and delivered by South West NRM, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel.
