Environmental Markets Leadership Program

The Environmental Markets Leadership Program empowered landholders with the knowledge, confidence, and tools to engage in natural capital and environmental markets. This initiative focused on sustainable land management practices that contribute positively to the environment while also offering economic benefits to participants.

Developed by Ethical Fields in partnership with Local Land Services, BehaviourWorks Australia, and JBass Learning, the program was funded by the NSW Environmental Trust and delivered across three years.

Project objectives

The Environmental Markets Leadership Program supported land managers and farmers in identifying, marketing, and benefiting from the natural capital and environmental services they provide. 

Project delivery

The program includes:

• a leadership network of supportive peers who share resources, knowledge and experience online and at facilitated meet-ups
• a practical, hands-on learning program
• the opportunity to develop a tailored plan for their property in order to map natural capital, identify ecosystem services, assess market opportunities and plan a path forward
• engagement with market stakeholders including buyers, funders, certifiers and regulators to explore current and emerging opportunities and influence supportive policy and regulation
• continued guidance, support and information from LLS and partners throughout the program. 

Project timeline 

Year 1:

• onboarding
• kick off and networking
• environmental markets course.

Year 2 and 3:

• network meet-ups
• environmental market plan.

Project outcomes

Delivered over two years, the program has contributed to meaningful environmental, behavioural, and systemic outcomes.

Engagement and Participation

• 132 landholders applied; 125 onboarded, along with 16 LLS staff.
• Over 30 learning and network activities delivered.
• 61 landholders plus LLS staff re-committed in year 2.

Improved Knowledge, Peer Support and Confidence

• 100% of graduates and engaged participants reported a substantial increase in understanding of natural capital and environmental markets, confidence to engage and awareness of opportunities, market stakeholders and support.

Environmental and Land Management

• Many participants reported continued or active adoption of sustainable NRM practices, including native vegetation rehabilitation and protection, contributing to long-term ecological benefits.
• Landholders reported visible improvements to native vegetation, habitat health, and ground cover through regenerative practices.

Market Readiness and Early Entry

• At least 30 participants completed on-site assessments, measurements, or business planning for natural capital and environmental markets.
• 15+ registered for existing markets; 20 approached a funder; at least 3 entered into formal transactions.
• 40+ adopted market attraction strategies, such as promoting natural capital to consumers. 

Project success stories

Water, land and leadership in the Murray

Jacqueline McArthur is a farmer and environmental stewardship leader based on her family’s 3,000-hectare property in the Murray region. By furthering her knowledge on environmental markets through the EMLP, she was able to help co-design a decision tool for farmers to help with drought resilience and share information at a grassroots level.

She applied her learning on-farm, participating in the Perricoota wetlands restoration project which trialled rehydration techniques, and explored biodiversity-linked opportunities across the 120 hectares of wetland that span her property. They are now part of ongoing efforts to seasonally flood the Perricoota forest and receive water for the Benarca waterholes. With a new levee in place, they hope to create a small-bodied fish nursery to help replenish stocks when there is a pulse through the forest.

Jacqueline continues to be an advocate for the evolution of agriculture integrated market methods that account for soil, water, and biodiversity values. She’s exploring:

• nature repair markets
• food procurement contracts that reward low-carbon and regeneratively produced products  
• long-term policy engagement to ensure frameworks benefit those on the ground.

Reimagining agriculture for nutrition and ecosystem resilience

Robyn Alders manages a 204-hectare mixed grazing property near Crookwell, on Gundungurra Country in the Southern Tablelands area of NSW. The property includes:

• pasture for grazing Merino sheep
• remnant native vegetation
• riparian areas and seasonal creeks.

Robyn’s participation in the EMLP has strengthened her leadership and expanded her influence across community and policy settings. Robyn is committed to reimagining agriculture through the lenses of ecology, nutrition, and equity. Her current focus includes:

• advocating for the inclusion of agro-biodiversity and heritage livestock breeds as national environmental assets
• connecting natural capital thinking with food and nutrition policy
• supporting smallholder inclusion in environmental market programs and policy consultations
• promoting locally-led decision-making and cross-sector collaboration.

Funding and partnerships  

This project has been funded by the NSW Environmental Trust and developed by Ethical Fields.

Local Land Services' project partners included:

• BehaviourWorks Australia
• JBass Learning.