Carbon Neutrality: thrilled or bored by it
Ready or not, red meat and wool with carbon-neutral credentials is likely to be a requirement of our continued access to the premium global markets, sooner rather than later and producers will need every carbon credit their property can muster to maintain this critical credential. We recognise that our members are being bombarded from all angles about the importance of progressing to carbon neutrality and the resulting landscape is confusing, frustrating and quite frankly puts carbon neutrality firmly in the ‘too hard’ basket for all but the most astute and energetic producer. Identifying pathways to 2030 carbon neutrality is a target in both the SA Beef and Sheep Industry Blueprints and there is a plethora of great work rolling out in the R&D space to support our producers achieve it if they choose to pursue these more lucrative markets.
Fortunately, many producers implementing on-farm management practices to improve productivity are already (by default) reducing their carbon footprint per weight of meat or wool produced. Whether it be increasing lambing percentages by better ewe nutrition, extending their grazing season and enhancing soil health by better species selection, or being proactive in selling off empty heifers and ewes, all will be impacting their bottom line and nudging their enterprise along the path to better drought resilience and closer to carbon neutral beef, lamb and wool.
Whether you want to throw yourself in the ocean or just dip your toe in the water of the whole carbon neutral credentialling, help is on its way. Livestock SA has convened the Blueprint Carbon Focus Group to pull together all the great work, resources and tools that are out there, make sense of them and provide you with the “No BS guide to carbon neutral livestock production’. Around the table we have a wealth of expertise in both carbon and livestock production, with a shared no nonsense approach. Our task is to (amongst other things) provide producers with simple practical tools to quickly understand how they can harness profit and production drivers to (also) tick the carbon reduction box, and what they need to do to prove what they’re doing to the higher priced markets. Like many of you, we’ve also been found in the corner quietly rocking over this complex carbon neutrality issue and we’re determined to prove that it doesn’t have to be that complicated to get involved and reap the benefits going forwards. Watch this space!
For further details – contact Libby Tedstone, SA Beef and Sheep Industry Blueprint Manager at ltedstone@livestocksa.org.au or phone 0427 970 565