P.PSH.1219 - NEXUS project: exploring profitable, sustainable livestock businesses in an increasingly variable climate
The NEXUS program will explore the nexus between profitability, productivity, greenhouse gas mitigation, carbon sequestration and consumer perceptions of livestock businesses in an increasingly variable climate?
| Project start date: | 19 November 2019 |
| Project end date: | 29 October 2023 |
| Publication date: | 06 May 2024 |
| Project status: | Completed |
| Livestock species: | Sheep |
| Relevant regions: | National |
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Summary
The NEXUS Program conducted an integrated assessment of seven farm case studies in regions from the Northern Gulf of Queensland to the Midlands of Tasmania to identify systems adaptations that are profitable, environmentally sustainable and targeted towards future market opportunities.
Objectives
The aim of the project was to:
1) Co-develop demand-driven farming systems enabling adaptation to future conditions, focussing on systemic opportunities for improving productivity, profitability and social licence to operate, while concurrently reducing GHG emissions.
2) Identify research, development and extension priorities to guide future investment in adaptation and mitigation.
Key findings
The NEXUS Project determined that:
1) Towards Carbon Neutral and Carbon Neutral packages elicited the greatest GHG emissions abatement;
2) Income Diversification was, for the most part, dependent on external or specialist input;
3) The cost of continuing ‘business as usual’ and purchasing carbon credits to offset status quo GHG emissions was the most expensive option;
4) Stacking together three synergistic interventions (planting trees for carbon, reducing enteric methane with Asparagopsis feed supplement, and adopting animal genotypes with higher genetic feed conversion efficiency) not only transitioned farming systems to net-zero emissions, but also raised profit by 2-30%
Benefits to industry
Projected climate change to 2050 is likely to have little impact on the Tasmanian sheep and beef sector, and, for farms proximal to the north-west coast at least, may even have modest benefit. More than 80% of the Tasmanian public regularly consume dairy and red meat products, with surveys suggesting greater consumer preference for livestock products derived from farms prioritising animal health and welfare and practices to reduce carbon footprint. Improving public awareness of existing environmental stewardship conducted by landholders would further improve consumer confidence in the red meat sector.
MLA action
NEXUS underscored several research, development and extension issues required for the industry to adapt and prosper under future conditions, including:
1) The investigation of the co-benefits and trade-offs associated with (adaptation/mitigation) interventions;
2) Stacking of several synergistic interventions (e.g. carbon removals, GHG mitigation, improved pasture fertility);
3) Approaches for improving both natural capital (e.g. biodiversity) and carbon sequestration at the farm and landscape scales.
Future research
NEXUS underscored several research, development and extension issues required for the industry to adapt and prosper under future conditions, including:
1) The investigation of the co-benefits and trade-offs associated with (adaptation/mitigation) interventions;
2) Stacking of several synergistic interventions (e.g. carbon removals, GHG mitigation, improved pasture fertility);
3) Approaches for improving both natural capital (e.g. biodiversity) and carbon sequestration at the farm and landscape scales.
More information
| Project manager: | Melanie Smith |
| Contact email: | reports@mla.com.au |
