P.PSH.1402 - Paraway Pastoral CN30 Collaborative Co Innovation Program

Summary

The purpose of this project was to explore, pilot and scale greenhouse gas management interventions outlined in the Industry’s CN30 Roadmap to deliver environmental, economic, and social impacts to Paraway Pastoral and the Australian red meat industry.

The Australian red meat and livestock industry created an opportunity to turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities through its Carbon Neutral by 2030 (CN30) Initiative. Meat and Livestock’s investment in technologies and practices that demonstrate the industry is proactively addressing emissions, reinforces the industry’s reputation as a global leader in sustainable food production. This is a key point of difference for Australian red meat in a competitive global protein market.

Some technologies and practices being adopted include improved animal genetics and husbandry practices to reduce emissions intensity (per unit of meat produced). Other options require further research and development to validate their environmental and economic benefits for industry and its stakeholders.

Specifically, the 3-year collaborative program’s 4 strategic focus areas include:

•    Emissions avoidance   
•    Carbon storage   
•    Integrated management systems – including identifying, validating, and developing market segments which are willing to pay for carbon and sustainability claims  
•    Organisational leadership building – with a particular emphasis on innovations that enable new value creation through GHG emissions management with the participant’s supply chain.

Objectives

Develop and implement the CN30 innovation plan containing the following work areas outlined in the industry’s CN30 Roadmap:  

1. Emissions avoidance   

2. Carbon storage   

3. Integrated management systems   

4. Organisational leadership building

Key findings

Paraway’s participation in the co-innovation program has enabled Paraway to focus resources and investment into trialling and assessing the many options available for emissions accounting, monitoring using technology, abatement, storage and to communicate what has been learned along the way with the agricultural industry and supporting industries.

Finding solutions to very complex issues (such as working with natural systems) is rarely through spontaneous revolutionary change. It is through the cumulative small gains in knowledge about what works and what doesn’t, about what can be implemented now, or needs more work. These gains can, on their own add up to something significant, but they can lead to a step change or complete paradigm shift.

Benefits to industry

As a result of MLA’s support for this program, the following broader industry benefits were achieved:

•    Demonstrated, practical CN30 implementation pathway
•    Productivity-aligned emissions reduction model
•    Identification of system constraints
•    De-risking of emerging technologies and practices
•    Carbon market and value creation insights
•    Reinforcement of Australian red meat sustainability positioning

MLA action

MLA continues to invest in industry innovation capability building activity across strategic focus areas on behalf of industry.

Future research

The research project highlighted the needs for further research in the following areas which are largely accounted for in ongoing research MLA is involved, Methane reduction technologies, soil carbon measurement at scale, economic analysis of decarbonisation pathways, carbon market design and accessibility, energy transition for remote pastoral systems, behavioural and adoption research