Agriculture and Carbon Emissions Project

This project supports the agricultural industry to meet community and consumer’s expectations on environment and welfare.

Outcome

1. That the WA extensive livestock industry had sound knowledge on carbon emissions from enterprises, options to reduce emissions and is taking mitigation action towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
2. That the WA agriculture sector has increased knowledge and skills in carbon accounting and an understanding of the potential mitigation of emissions from practices on-farm.
3. That the WA broadacre sector has sound knowledge and a path to action on managing enterprises in a drying climate.

Investment priorities

• Demonstration of practices and technologies on carbon emissions mitigation and abatement through KRS Carbon Neutral 2030 Demonstration Farm.
• A training and extension program supporting the move towards carbon neutral/low carbon production by producers.
• Build better information and technologies for WA production systems through a co-ordinated program of research and development in conjunction with other research partners and funding institutions.

KPIs

1. Detailed audit for sheep and beef in Western Australia and identification of priority areas for mitigation in WA production systems by May 2022.
2. Developed recommendation and modelling package  for producers by December2022.
3. Katanning Research Station set up and used as a demonstration farm for tested and emerging technologies for carbon by June 2024.

Opportunities for carbon mitigation in broadacre enterprises

To build understanding and knowledge of carbon emissions and mitigation opportunities for producers, DPIRD will conduct carbon accounting workshops for broadacre producers, consultants and advisors working in the sector.  It will work with research partners to build better tools for producers to do carbon accounts that are suited to our Mediterranean mixed farming systems.

Focus for 2021

An understanding of the sheep and beef industries' contribution to Western Australia's carbon account is important for managing risks, while also considering the affects an evolving sector might have on the state’s agricultural emissions. DPIRD has undertaken a whole of industry carbon footprint for the sheep industry and the beef cattle industry .

Working with the grain sector, we have a review of tools and calculators for use across a mixed farm enterprise and assess the value and suitability of commercially available tools for the WA Mediterranean environment. We partnered with CBH Group and Wide Open Agriculture to benchmark grain producers across the South West.

Focus for 2022

• Undertake Life Cycle Analysis for other industries including horticulture (avocados) and intensive animals (egg production).
• In-depth studies of inputs into the National Inventory for Greenhouse Gases calcuations at a state level.
• Undertake an Energy Audit for KRS to determine costs and abatement for the station.
• Complete the R&D Strategy for Emissions Reduction across Agriculture.
• Purchase in-field methane measurement units to accurately monitor the methane emissions from sheep and cattle.

Focus for 2023

• Sequestration potentials for WA land sector - report coming soon.
• Prediction modelling for agricultural industries to 2035
• Options paper for Carbon mitigation in WA agriculture and consultation
• Technical Report- WA GHG mitigation opportunities for WA Agriculture - report coming soon.
• In-field measurement of methane from cattle and sheep

Key resources

Resources for staff, advisors and consultants on WA agriculture emissions

• Carbon Calculators – Western Australian example farms including sheep, grains and dairy
• How to calculate the carbon emissions from your own farm business

Carbon accounting and carbon footprints

1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions for WA Agriculture
2. Carbon account and mitigation strategy for KRF
3. Carbon footprint for the WA sheep industry with scenario modeling for understanding change
4. Carbon Footprint for the WA beef industry with scenario modelling for understanding change
5. Carbon Life Cycle Analysis of Avocados 
6. Carbon Neutral Grains benchmarking study