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Policy undermining emission reductions
Vivien Lin
Inadequate policy frameworks are undermining the farming sector’s potential to help Australia meet its carbon emissions targets, according to new research from AgriFutures Australia.
The report, Improving carbon markets to increase farmer participation , was carried out by the Australian National University and the Mullion Group with funding under the AgriFutures National Rural Issues Program. It reveals that current regulatory frameworks are preventing producers from participating in carbon markets, diminishing the potential of the farm sector as a source of carbon units to meet Australia’s emissions reduction targets.
“This report indicates carbon markets are shaping as the incentive for Australian farming industries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a trading environment where CSIRO forecasts carbon market returns of $40b to the land sector by 2050,” says AgriFutures Australia Managing Director John Harvey. “Reducing uptake barriers for primary producers may be key to more consistent farmer participation in carbon offset markets.”
Agriculture currently contributes 13 percent to Australia’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. Numerous industry groups have acknowledged the importance of contributing to emissions reductions, with the National Farmers’ Federation and Meat and Livestock Australia both committing to carbon neutral goals.
Nevertheless, various barriers continue to reduce farmer engagement in carbon markets including:
●low carbon prices and price uncertainty;
●restrictions on the scope of methods;
●high transaction costs;
●lack of information and a lack of trust in information providers; and
●concerns about changes in the rules that govern participation and crediting.
These are especially pronounced for sugarcane producers and piggeries, in which small to medium-sized farms generally have low levels of awareness of carbon market opportunities.
“Increased efforts to raise awareness of carbon market opportunities and further analysis of the economic returns from soil carbon projects could help reduce these barriers,” says AgriFutures Australia Senior Manager of Business Development Jennifer Medway. “It has been shown soil carbon projects result in improved soil health which can lead to improved agricultural productivity. Methane capture can provide a means for generating renewable energy, and improving the efficiency of intensive farm operations like piggeries.”
The report reveals that reform to the existing carbon market policy and regulatory frameworks will be key to addressing these barriers.
“While Rural Research and Development Corporations and industry are investing heavily in innovative, proactive approaches to address the carbon challenge, there remains a reliance on public investment to fund instruments to deliver on-farm carbon abatement,” Mr Harvey says.
Agriculture has dominated the nation’s primary carbon market, the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF), with 70 percent of registered projects relating to the farming sector. Nevertheless, uptake from the sector has been inconsistent, mainly involving the regeneration or protection of native forests in Queensland, New South Wales and, to a lesser extent, Western Australia and South Australia.
The report contains a number of policy measures that can help address barriers to participation in carbon markets, facilitating greater participation in Australia’s emissions reductions efforts. These include:
●mandatory sectoral targets involving setting specific emission reduction targets for each participation sector;
●price floors and ceilings to set minimum and maximum prices for the sale of carbon credits;
●government purchasing to minimise price uncertainty for offset providers;
●investment in agriculture abatement research; and
●minimising institutional barriers and transaction costs.
Although AgriFutures notes that further research is required to inform the design and implementation of the required policy responses, it believes that these are all viable options to mitigate the existing barriers and boost the income of the agricultural industry.
“Enhanced participation in carbon offset markets will lead the sector closer to the forecast $40 billion return,” says Ms Medway.
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Trace minerals are required for optimal growth, reproduction, and immunity. Optimising trace mineral status relying solely on oral supplements across a herd may fail because of variation in individual intake and reduced absorption due to antagonism of other ration components and minerals. The use of injectable trace mineral supplements has been associated with positive reproductive outcomes including improved conception rate, increased odds of pregnancy and greater final in calf rate. A study conducted on 2,168 dairy cows, administered injectable trace minerals, four weeks prior to calving and again four weeks prior to the start of mating showed treated animals had a 3.3 per cent greater final in-calf rate, and a reduced time from start of mating to conception, compared to control animals 1 . The Importance of B12 Dr Carl Eden, Technical Services Veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim says “Vitamin B12 is sometimes referred to as a ‘super vitamin’ because it is only required in very small amounts but vital to many essential metabolic pathways. However, demand for B12 can vary considerably during the year and we see serum levels of B12 fall at critical times, such as the first few months after calving.” Vitamin B12 contains cobalt, so deficiency in cobalt can lead to deficiency in vitamin B12 because ruminants get most of their B12 as a byproduct of ruminal fermentation where the bacteria in their rumen assemble B12 from cobalt for use by the cow. Sub-optimal trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at calving, mating, and drying off has been shown to negatively impact growth, reproduction, and immunity. Using a trace mineral injectable containing vitamin B12 can improve trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at these critical times. Marks-Min with Vitamin B12 – The Evidence In the largest trace element study to date, Marks-Min Injectable Trace Mineral with Vitamin B12 demonstrated remarkable results when compared to a reference trace mineral injection. “Given the differences between Marks-Min and other products on the market, we wanted to generate a compelling data set to demonstrate how effective it was compared to the pioneer product. We entrusted this work to a third-party research company” says Dr Eden. “We chose farms that were at the top of their game from a reproductive perspective. We made sure that the farms had no evidence of trace element or vitamin B12 deficiencies or excess.” Across all outcomes of interest, Marks-Min demonstrated clear non-inferiority when compared to the reference product. Outcomes measured included submission, pregnancy and conception rates, and six week in-calf rate. Marks-Min demonstrated it is highly suited as an alternative treatment to the reference product. Reference: 1. Hawkins, D., and B. V. S. Franklin. New Zealand Dairy Veterinarians Newsletter 24 (2007): 12-16 Company website: livestockfirst.com.au Company email address: CustomerCare.Australia@boehringer-ingelheim.com Company video: https://vimeo.com/1138807630?fl=pl&fe=cm
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