Building a climate-smart ag future

Building a Climate Smart Ag Future for the Riverina is focused on practical solutions, knowledge sharing and community engagement to drive sustainable agricultural practices in the region.  

The project gives farmers confidence in decision-making and helps them create a legacy extension network for future innovation.

It has a strong focus on engagement with women and university students to create awareness and knowledge about carbon emissions, efficient agricultural practices and environmental markets.

Project background

The work aims to reduce threats to agriculture in the region, which include:

• pest animals
• unsuitable land management practices
• knowledge gaps impacting effective farm business management  
• increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters
• climate change, especially changing rainfall patterns.

Project objectives

This project aims to assist landholders and the agriculture sector in the Riverina Local Land Services region to:

• transition towards climate-smart agriculture through livestock production and soil health improvement initiatives
• adopt practices that reduce carbon emission intensity and build resilience to climate change
• drive agricultural growth while adopting sustainable natural resource management practices that protect and conserve natural capital and biodiversity
• implement industry sustainability frameworks.

Project delivery

Work includes:

• on-farm demonstrations covering supply chains, especially red meat, grains, oil seeds and horticulture
• workshops for farmers about carbon emission calculations, climate-smart agriculture practices, sustainable farming methods
• refresher courses in grazing management, soil health, reducing emissions in livestock production
• farmer discussion groups for knowledge sharing
• education events for women and university students about carbon emissions, efficient agricultural practices and environmental markets
• conference for supply chain partners to collaborate on solutions for reducing emissions and adopting climate-smart agriculture practices
• distribution of education and information products to the wider agricultural community
• building a network of practitioners for ongoing knowledge sharing.

Project timeline

2024–25

• Strategic planning and contract finalisation.

2025–28

• Initiate the on-farm demonstrations.
• Run foundational field days.
• Hold conference and seminars such as the Southern Beef and Lamb School.
• Run farmer workshops and training such as Weaners for Profit and Life-time Ewe Management.
• Run education events with women.
• Run Hack-a-thon learning events for university students.
• Conduct skills and knowledge surveys (after each training event).
• Project close (30 June 2028) and outcomes reporting.

Work underway

• Ground-Up field days.
• Agriwomen Connect events – Soil, Stock, Sustainability.
• Established our first demonstration site focused on salt bush and inter-row species.

Funding and partnerships

Our key delivery partners are:

• farmers
• land and livestock managers
• Cool Soil Initiative.

This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program and delivered by Riverina Local Land Services, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel. All outcomes for this project are recorded in MERIT.