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.