Carbon Farming in Tropical North Queensland

GENERATING NEW INCOME STREAMS FOR LANDHOLDERS

17 OCTOBER 2022

Queensland is responsible for 90% of Australia’s total land sector emissions. Avoiding further land clearing is essential but it is only one component, we also need to encourage reforestation.

What is carbon farming?

Carbon farming is a way for landholders to generate another income from their land and also make improvements to their ‘natural capital’. You can derive an income either by avoiding carbon emissions or by sequestering emissions, which means drawing carbon down and storing it.

Landholders can reduce carbon emissions through practices such as reducing methane from livestock, reducing fertiliser emissions, manure management and savannah fire management or sequester carbon through reforestation as an example.

Carbon farming methods

There are several different methods that have been developed for carbon farming including:

  • Beef – herd improvement, feeding nitrates
  • Soil carbon
  • Irrigated cotton
  • Dairy – destruction of methane, dietary additives
  • Vegetation – reforestation, revegetation, protecting native forests
  • Blue carbon
  • Savannah fire management

Cassowary Credits 

Terrain NRM is developing a new biodiversity credit scheme that is designed to be stacked on top of carbon credits to make it more viable for landholders in the Wet Tropics to derive an income from reforestation.

Interested in finding out more about carbon farming?

A number of resources have been developed for landholders in Queensland who are interested in carbon farming.

Louise Gavin from Remarkable NRM has written a must-read handbook in partnership with NRMRQ and QFF with funding from the Queensland Government. It provides a comprehensive overview of the market and is a good starting point for landholders who are interested in finding out more.

**Download: Carbon Farming Handbook for Land Managers in Queensland (2022).

This video presentation by Louise also provides a basic overview:

Climate Webinar Series Part 6: Carbon Farming 101

Louise Gavin from Remarkable NRM works with farmers and land managers who want to know more about participating in the carbon farming market. In this presentation she talks about the basics of carbon farming, the different methods available, project viability, carbon farming programs, and considerations for landholders.

RELATED NEWS

Compost Workshop

Compost Workshop

Soil Template 1
Farmers: Come to a compost workshop with Adam Collins on Sunday 14 July.
Read More
Soilkee Renovator Demonstration Day

Soilkee Renovator Demonstration Day

Soil Template 1
Come to our Soilkee Renovator Demonstration Day on Thursday 6 June in Malanda.
Read More
Mulch trials: Which types work best?

Mulch trials: Which types work best?

Template 1 Soil
What is the best mulch for orchards? The results of mulch trials in the Mareeba region...
Read More
1 2 3 17