Addressing Climate Change with Innovative Farming Practices in Australia

Written by Network Member: Marie Gillardeau, Sprouted Green Fodder

While awareness of climate change risks has been increasing, it is also clear that there are still challenges ahead of Australian farmers. According to the CSIRO¹, Australian agriculture emissions represent 87.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO₂-e), and account for 16.8% of the total national greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions.

Under conventional farming practices, there is limited opportunity to reduce emissions significantly; rather, agriculture is a major contributor to emissions, soil erosion and the associated loss of soil organic carbon (SOC), the most meaningful sign of soil productivity. Soil contains up to three times as much carbon as the atmosphere; hence the major role Australian farmers can play in stabilising emissions is through soil carbon sequestration.

Sprouted Green Fodder Pty. Ltd is a Melbourne-based research company that seeks to make a difference by further developing soil carbon sequestration techniques and implementing better land, emissions and soil carbon management practices in Australia. The distinctive mission of Sprouted Green Fodder is to empower Australian farmers through education and resource management to help them realise their fullest potential for growth, as they cut their emissions and sequester carbon. Having researched the essence of the design for over 20 years, Dr. John Russell is in charge of the engineering, research and development activities, supported by Ms. Marie Gillardeau in business development strategy and marketing planning.

The company holds the patents of a 'major' innovation – a new process that participates in the replenishment of agricultural soils, thus partly reversing the disturbance left by intensive agriculture. The design consists of a new technique of ploughing and employs a patented device to meter soil supplements, which provides additional nutrients for developing plant roots systems. Therefore the technology is not only limited to the enhancement of the carbon content of soils, but is also a means of optimisation of inputs to grow more biomass. Recent findings from Dr. Russell have shown that the design allows a growth of 50% biomass above the expected agricultural production. According to financial projections completed earlier this year, the commercial value of these products (sheep, cattle, grains, biofuel, etc) represents an additional AUD$50 per hectare on average, thus making farms equally sustainable and profitable.

The dramatically increasing rate of soil depletion indicates that it is no longer possible to use intensive tillage practices and bear enough crops for everyone in Australia. Likewise, similar practices encourage the use of fossil fuels and/or nitrogenous fertilizers and pesticides, thus raising GHG emissions in the atmosphere. There is an urgent need to shift to a new paradigm, in order to make Australian agriculture more sustainable. Soil carbon sequestration appears to be the most energy-efficient and cost-effective mitigation solution. The technology held by Sprouted Green Fodder represents a cost under AUD$10 per tonne of carbon dioxide sequestered, where the costs of other alternatives such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) range between AUD$60-65 per tonne. The design can assist Australian farmers to respond and adapt to climate change risks, in a simple way that does not require a complete overhaul of their facilities. The long-term objective of Sprouted Green Fodder is to provide Australian farmers with the necessary tools to meet the dual challenges of climate change risks and food security.

Although the research stage of the process is completed, optimisation continues. Sprouted Green Fodder is always looking for investors and adventurous land managers who would be interested in contributing to the development of an innovative and practical carbon mitigation option, and would like to join its research program.

For further information, please contact Dr. John Russell: j.russell@latrobe.edu.au or alternatively Ms. Marie Gillardeau: marie-sgf@virginbroadband.com.au; or find Marie on the member directory.

References:
¹CSIRO (2010), Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change, CSIRO Publishing.

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