Transforming systems to decarbonise food and agriculture
Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Monday November 25th, 2024
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About Decarb Forum for Agriculture & Land
Decarbonising agriculture and land systems will be critical towards achieving Australia’s net zero goal by 2050. These systems are complex and interconnected with many challenges that all need to be addressed urgently. New policies, investments and cross- sectoral collaboration will be needed to ensure a just and green transition.
The Decarb Forum for Agriculture & Land will bring together up to 200 national stakeholders to explore systemic solutions for decarbonising the agriculture and land sector. Participants, including industry leaders, policymakers, experts, scientists, and innovators, will gather to engage in collaborative discussions aimed at overcoming barriers, identifying opportunities, and co- designing actionable solutions.
A round table format with facilitators will encourage systems thinking, the sharing of solutions and collective brainstorming. Discussions will deep dive into the critical challenges of decarbonising the sector, presenting innovative solutions for emissions reduction and the regeneration of natural systems.
In closing the forum participants will present ideas and actionable recommendations for achieving net zero emissions in agriculture and land and accelerating the transition towards a sustainable future.
Venue & directions
University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury Institute For The Environment, (L2), Science Rd, Richmond NSW 2753.
For those travelling by car - entry is via Bourke Street. Bourke Street entry for P4 Parking gives easy access to L2, L2 is a short 2-minute walk in front of the carpark then turn left, head towards the oval and then follow the path to L2 (see map below). If travelling by train, there is easy access to Bourke St entry via train to East Richmond Station, with a WSU shuttle bus (operating regularly) from the station, or a 17 minute walk from East Richmond Station to L2 Map - https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/__data/campus_maps/Hawkesbury_Campus_North_L.pdf - (Note - College Drive entry on map continues on from Bourke St).
CSIRO Ag2050 Scenarios Report
What could productive, resilient, and sustainable farming systems look like in Australia by 2050? This is the question the Ag2050 Scenarios Report, spanning land-based farming, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries, aims to answer through exploring the significant trends, risks and opportunities facing Australian agriculture.
With growing threats of climate change, net zero mandates, rising geopolitical uncertainty, an ageing workforce, and changing consumer preferences and market access, Australian agriculture faces significant long-term threats to farm productivity, resilience and sustainability. To meet the challenges and fulfil the sustainability, productivity, and profitability needs of 2050, Australia will need to accelerate the transformation of its current farming systems.
The report aims to motivate discussions between industry, researchers and policymakers, fostering strategic coordination within the Australian agriculture innovation system, to productively address cross-sectoral challenges and opportunities.
Complete the form to download CSIRO Ag2050 scenarios report.
Climate Change Authority Report
The Climate Change Authority’s Sector Pathways Review has found Australia’s transition to net zero is “necessary, inevitable, and urgent”. We must accelerate deployment of existing technologies as any delays will put emissions reduction goals at risk. Reducing emissions in the agricultural sector will be challenging and progress is expected to be slow until the late 2030s. Livestock, which contributes over half the sector’s emissions, will require a change in farming practices, improving protein production and integrating regenerative agriculture. The review calls for increased research and development, greater adoption of reforestation and carbon farming, and reducing emissions in other areas.
Complete the form to download climate change authority report.
Speakers and Discussion Leaders
Tim Ferraro is the APAC Regional Director for global nature restoration company Land Life, entrusted with delivering an exciting and ambitious regional growth plan over the next five years. Tim has 30-plus years of leadership experience in Australian nature restoration projects - covering everything from semi-arid rangelands to coastal environments.
He has been recognised with multiple awards for leadership and contribution to nature restoration, including the NSW Premiers Award (Gold and Silver) and Civil Contractors Federation NSW Earth Award. Tim holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours) from Western Sydney University, an MBA in Strategic Management from Charles Sturt University and is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program.
Experienced in the fields of policy research, editing, communications, and project management, Katie McRobert has been part of the Australian Farm Institute team since late 2017, holding roles as Senior Researcher and General Manager before becoming Executive Director in April 2024. She is currently Chair of the CSIRO Drought Resilience Mission Advisory Group, and a member of the Australian Agricultural Traceability Governance Group, the CSIRO Agriculture & Food external advisory group, and the NSW Farm Writers Committee. At the AFI, Katie’s role gives her the opportunity to deep dive into evidence-based policy research focused on the sustainability of agrifood systems – work she feels proud and privileged to be part of.
Charlie is the founder and Managing Director of Agricultural Management Company Pty Ltd (AMC), a specialist agribusiness management, advisory and investment company focused on Australian agri-food services and infrastructure.
Charlie is from a multi-generational farming family background and has been involved with production agriculture his entire career in livestock, cropping, cotton and horticulture. Charlie has worked with clients such as Apollo Global, Terra Firma, Qatar Investment Authority, SGRF Oman, Landmark and major Australian investment firms in investing and managing agricultural assets.
Charlie possesses a unique ability to deliver results in the paddock and the boardroom. He has direct networks with clients in regional Australia, the Middle East, Asia and North America. Each year, he is also invited to the Forbes Global CEO Conference, a meeting of 400 selected global CEO’s, entrepreneurs and leaders.
Charlie has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, is RG146 compliant for Managed Investments, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Siddharth Satpute leads the central incubation team at Nupo Ventures, which serves as the venture building arm of the Olam Group, a leading global food and agri business. Over the past 5 years, he has been involved in ideating, validating, and supporting early-stage incubation of corporate ventures at the intersection of digital and sustainability. Jiva (a holistic farmer services platform) and Terrascope (an end2end decarbonization platform) are examples of profit-with-purpose ventures that Siddharth has helped incubate.
In addition, Siddharth also heads the Industry Solutions Group at Mindsprint, the digital technology services arm of the Olam group. Under his leadership, Mindsprint has built and scaled innovative digital solutions across the food and agri value chain - from helping to making food supply chains more traceable and sustainable, to enabling businesses reach and serve customers more efficiently, to solutions for smart farms and smart factories.
Siddharth’s journey with Olam commenced in 2013 as the finance head for India. He went on to become the finance head for APAC region before taking on his current roles in venture incubation and digital transformation Prior to Olam, Siddharth spent more than 16 years with Royal Philips Electronics where he held various country, regional and global functional and business roles.
Felicity has 30 years’ experience in agricultural extension practice across all industries and states, working with landholder groups, the University of New England, Bendigo TAFE and the North Central CMA in Victoria. In her previous role with Soil Science Australia, she developed and delivered soil science training in collaboration with members, the National Soil Science extension team and regional soil coordinators.
An experienced facilitator, Felicity established, managed, and facilitated three soil community of practice groups for Soil CRC’s Building Landcare Capacity project. She also assisted the Birchip Cropping Demonstration Sites (now Birchip Cropping Group) develop into a leading farmer-led agricultural research and extension organisation.
Based in Bendigo, Felicity is enthusiastic about working towards developing and maintaining prosperous and sustainable rural regions. As Knowledge Broker, she plays a key bridging role between the CRC’s research scientists and our grower group members. Currently Felicity is managing a project supported by NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water through the Primary Industries Productivity and Abatement Program (PIPAP) developing and delivering Soil Carbon Capacity Building Resources for Farmers and Advisors’, which offers guidance on soil management changes, increasing soil carbon, and can help farmers earn carbon credits, more information can be found here Soil CRC | Events | CRC for High Performance Soils
Stephen Summerhayes is the Director of the Renewables in Agriculture Centre of Excellence at Charles Sturt University and the Innovation and Impact Lead at Food Agility, a $230M+ collaborative research innovation Centre with over 100 partners that aims to enhance the sustainability, profitability and competitiveness of our food system.
Stephen has a diverse background encompassing law, environmental management, research utilisation and impact, innovation, and international development. He holds qualifications in law, science, international studies, leadership, management and training.
Peter is an experienced and successful senior executive with broad operational experience in project, commercial and investment management across a wide range of industries, including technology development, renewable energy, engineering, manufacturing and private equity. He has worked in both large financial institutions and start-up companies, such as AMP Capital Investors, St. George Bank and Coopers and Lybrand.
Peter has excelled in leading diverse multi-disciplinary teams to finance and undertake complex projects and transactions.
Peter has been working with the Graphite Energy Technologies since 2004.
Co Hosts
Building on over 10 years of experience in measuring and managing emissions in the Agri-Food value chain, we combine climate expertise, decarbonisation know-how, technology and proprietary datasets to help companies build more impactful decarbonisation programs to reduce their emissions.
Since launching in 2022, Terrascope is now a CDP Gold Accredited software provider, has been independently assured by Ernst & Young, and a signatory of the The Climate Pledge to achieve Net Zero by 2040. And we are proud to be trusted by some of the world’s largest companies in ASEAN, Japan, Australia, UK, EU and US to enable their decarbonisation journey.
All your carbon farming needs in one place.
Since 2010 we empower Australian farmers and landowners to adopt innovative land management practices that make a difference, both to the environment and to their business bottom line. It’s part of our unwavering commitment to be a part of the solution to climate change and reducing Australia’s net carbon emissions, whilst supporting regional businesses and communities.
Select Carbon is an end-to-end business that works with land holders who are project proponents to co-design, register, monitor and report on carbon projects and, as part of this process, quantifies net abatement.
We use innovative science and technology to partner with pastoralists and farmers to develop, support and manage carbon farming projects across Australia – helping land holders consider production, profitability and landscape health. Our team works with land holders to design evidence-based strategies that improve profitability, sustainability, and encourage participation in carbon markets while minimising risks.
Land Life is a highly respected for-profit social enterprise offering an end-to-end solution to investing in high-integrity, high-impact nature restoration projects. In the last decade, Land Life has pioneered large-scale projects across five continents, going beyond carbon sequestration to ensure our projects benefit climate, biodiversity and community.
We work collaboratively with major brands, governments and institutions in the voluntary carbon market to support their nature goals, science-based targets and carbon removal strategies. Our customers place a high value on the science, tech, innovation and transparency that Land Life delivers in spades, benefitting from Land Life’s fully integrated service across the entire process - from project financing, land access, design and implementation, to monitoring and data, verification, certification and post-planting marketing support.
With three major hubs in Iberia, North America and the APAC region, our Australian team delivers Land Life’s global experience to local nature restoration projects in Victoria, NSW and South Australia. www.landlifecompany.com
Precision Pastures is an independent soil, pasture and carbon services company.
We use the latest technology, satellite imagery and GPS soil testing equipment to assist farmers across Australia to achieve their production objectives.
We put data first and central to all our services and back it up with direct access to our agronomists and support staff.
WollemAI is an AI-driven climate risk management platform designed to help businesses transform incomplete data into comprehensive, audit-grade emissions reports with minimal input. Our AI-enhanced calculator provides farm-level reporting, crucial for complying with pending reporting requirements and for accurately pricing climate risks into business activities.
Unlike current alternatives that are either unscalable, limited (farm-by-farm calculators), or rely on expensive consultancies, WollemAI offers an accessible, scalable solution. By delivering highly accurate, asset-level assessments of climate risks, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and emissions from land use change, we empower organisations to manage their environmental impact efficiently.
WollemAI is committed to climate-proofing the land and agricultural sectors through AI-powered innovation, helping companies in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond navigate the challenges of a changing climate and meet their sustainability goals.
Applying world-class research to solve real-world problems.
The Sydney Institute of Agriculture brings together research from across the University of Sydney and contributes valuable knowledge to the agriculture and food sector.
The University of Sydney has been a leading contributor to Australian agricultural knowledge for more than a century.
Our research staff are industry leaders influencing policy locally and internationally. We are playing a leading role in the design, creation and integration of components required for the ‘new agriculture’: a high-tech, ecosystem-aware, value-added and consumer connected food production framework with benefits for consumers, producers and the environment.
Hatched out of King & Wood Mallesons’ (KWM) top-tier Corporate Governance Advisory practice, Owl Advisory was established to meet our clients specific compliance needs. We understand the challenges you face navigating an increasingly complex regulatory risk environment, and we’re here to provide you with a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach. In an environment of a rapidly increasing regulatory burden, rising costs of compliance failures and growing stakeholder expectations for quality risk management, we know it’s a lot to manage and we know you are looking for innovative solutions.
That’s why Owl Advisory by KWM is here to support you every step of the way. We bring you world class risk management principles, technology, quantitative risk measurement and multi-disciplinary technical expertise.
As a KWM entity, Owl Advisory by KWM is positioned in the Australian market to draw upon the full expertise of KWM’s renowned legal practice, offering you an integrated legal and compliance risk advisory service. This is our key point of difference from other compliance risk offerings in the market.
Agricultural Innovation Australia
Agricultural Innovation Australia Ltd (AIA) is a not-for-profit public company established to facilitate joint investment and collaboration in cross-industry agricultural issues of national importance.
AIA identifies, develops and invests in strategies that deliver transformative outcomes to drive sustainability, productivity and profitability across Australian agricultural value chains.
AIA’s flagship initiative is the Environmental Accounting Platform, Australia’s first cross-sectoral carbon accounting engine which provides the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors with a standardised approach to carbon accounting across a wide range of commodities.
Farmers for Climate Action is a movement of farmers, agricultural leaders and rural Australians working to influence Australia to adopt strong climate policies by growing the number of farmers, farming communities and elected representatives championing ambitious action.
We connect farmers with each other and support them to advocate for and enact climate solutions both on and off farm.
We are independent, non-profit and non-partisan. We represent 8,000 farmers across Australia, and our supporter base includes over 45,000 Australians committed to climate action for agriculture.
Our members and our Board can be found across the country from the tropical north of Queensland to the cooler climes of Tasmania, and from the wine growing regions of Western Australia right across to the sheep and cropping farms of New South Wales. Our staff members are spread across Australia, working remotely and from our office hubs.
We work closely with people and organisations across the agricultural and climate sectors to find opportunities to tackle the challenge of climate change and ensure rural communities’ interests are represented.
We are a member of the National Farmers’ Federation and a member of the Climate Action Network Australia.
We believe that if we grow the number of farmers, their communities and their representatives who are leading on climate-smart farming solutions and championing strong economy-wide climate policy, we can influence governments to implement climate policies that mitigate climate change and benefit rural communities.
The Australian Farm Institute leads the farm policy discussions to ensure a viable future for the Australian agricultural community, delivers timely analysis and insights, and promotes evidence-based policy solutions that maximise the economic and social wellbeing of our farmers.
Acknowledgement of Country
We respect and acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise their rich cultures and connections to land, sea and community. Together, we commit to building a sustainable future together.
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