Innovation for Sustainability Environmental Management

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Innovation for SustainabilityEnvironmental
Management Profitable Farming

• Corey Watts
• Australian Innovative Farming Conference
• Melbourne, October 5th 7th

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Australian Conservation Foundation

• Community-based NGO with a 40 year history
• Solutions-oriented approach Science Values
• Strong links with producer, policy research
  communities
• Keen interest in the future of rural Australia

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Agriculture in Australia A Mixed Legacy

• High economic benefits but high ecological cost
• Heavy toll on native habitat wildlife
• Soil degradation
• Salinisation
• Loss of water quality waterway health
• Chemical contamination
• Pests weeds
• Greenhouse pollution
• Increasing landholder engagement in environmental
  works, but landscape health still declining.

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Landscape Health Across Australia

• Stress index includes
• vegetation
• salinity
• pests and weeds
• threatened species and ecosystems

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Dryland Salinity
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River Health Water Quality
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Agriculture Climate Change
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Sustainable Farming Healthy Rural Landscapes
Seven Steps

• Protect remaining native habitat wild rivers
  (do better with what weve got)
• Reward pro-active conservation management by
  farmers
• Retire rehabilitate some land water
• Promote new commercial-environmental ventures
  (new farming new land-uses)
• Re-design farming to reduce ecological footprint
• Green the supply chain
• Link environmental progress with community
  development

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ACF-Southcorp Biodiversity Project
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Integrating Improving Biodiversity

• Biodiversity BMPs
• integrate conservation with other activities
• Give clear expectations guidance
• Provide stakeholders with assurance of
  performance

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Fuelling Landscape Repair
ACF and JVAP, with assistance from the Myer
Foundation, commissioned URS Australia to Review
bioenergy economics Review potential to address
land degradation reduce GHG emissions Map
pathway to a sustainable bioenergy
industry Outline policy drivers.
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Mallee Farming - Broad Benefits

• Diversify farm income opportunities.
• Help prevent salinisation.
• Reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
• Reduce greenhouse pollution capture carbon.
• Generate new technologies export .
• Raise community self-reliance and confidence.
• Reduce risks of centralised power supply.
• Reduce financial environmental costs of
  electricity distribution.
• Offer long-term job opportunities in regional
  Australia.
• Prevent loss biodiversity and ecosystem services.

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Future of Farming Looking After the Land For
All Its Values