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Kimberly Green
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Sustainable Farm Practices
Contribution to productivity and a better environment
Presented by: Kimberly Green, Manager Sustainable Agriculture Policy (Special Project)
Healthy Agricultural Landscapes
Benefits to Australian community:
– Food and fibre production– Economic growth– Resilience to climate
change– Provision of environmental
services– Supporting regional and
rural communities
Sustainable agriculture is an “enabler”
Sustainable agriculture is an “enabler” to:
– broader policy agendas
– National Food Plan– Productivity– Carbon Land Sector
Package (developing)– Biodiversity conservation– Wildlife Corridors – Rural communities
Caring for our Country Objective
.....initiative that seeks to achieve an environment that is healthy, better protected, well managed, resilient, and provides essential ecosystem services in a changing climate
Essential ecosystem services include protected biodiversity, clean air and water and healthy soils which support sustainable food and fibre industries
Objectives for sustainable farm practices
– Long term productivity
– Maintain/ enhance natural
resource base
– Encourage adoption of
sustainable practices
– Build community capacity
– Information for decision making
Sustainable farm practices
5 year outcomes:
1. Assist 30 per cent farmers uptake management practices
– deliver ecosystem services
– soil condition
2. Increase number farmers
– landscape scale
– biodiversity
3. Improve knowledge, skills, engagement - 30 per cent farmers
– natural resources and environment
Activities funded to meet targets
Soils– Information development– Information dissemination– Trialling practices – Development of innovative
practices– Reporting frameworks
Landscape scale conservation– Payment for on ground works
(fencing; off-stream watering points)– Establish paddock trees
Some Examples of Projects Funded (1):
Whole of Paddock Rehabilitation (WOPR): A Sustainable Agriculture Solution • Greening Australia • $880,000 over 2.5 years• actively engage more than 50 farmers in rehabilitation >1000 ha; • field days involving >200 farmers and communication to >1000 farmers• establishes paddock trees - Box Gum woodland • provides shade/ shelter stock, improve soil / water quality
National Environmental Plan Implementation • Grains Research Development Corporation • $6.6 million over 4 years• partnership with Australia’s mixed systems farmers and regional NRM bodies• 7 mixed farming zones • reduce wind/ water erosion and increase soil carbon and biodiversity• optimise land use; increase annuals, perennials and biennial fodders and forages
Some Examples of Projects Funded (2):
Building resilient farms in times of change • Sustainable Agricultural Services Group of Serve-Ag Pty Ltd• $330,000 over 3 years• Southern Tasmania• Promoting practices to improve soil health and biodiversity• Win-win interaction between NRM, productivity and profitability.
Sustainable cropping practices for dryland farmers– Conservation Agriculture Alliance of Australia and New Zealand – $900,900 over 2.5 years– Over 23 regional catchments – Promoting sustainable cropping practices in dry land agriculture– Reduce wind/water erosion and increase soil carbon – Management soil is key to long-term farm productivity.