NRM South was thrilled to help host the national launch for the Green Sheep Project during AgFest earlier this month. This national project, which brings together producers, supply chain leaders and government will back a practical, industry-led approach to sustainability and natural capital management.
Led by Sheep Producers Australia and working with project partners NRM South, Glenelg Hopkins CMA, Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management Inc and the Holbrook Landcare Network, this three-year project aims to help producers to better understand, measure and communicate on-farm sustainability and natural capital.
Officially launched by The Hon Julie Collins MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the event saw a great turnout from industry representatives, sheep producers, stakeholders and media – who heard from Minister Collins, Carolyn Cameron from Sheep Producers Australia, Janneke Scheeres from NRM South and Tasmanian farmers Anna Cotton and Rosie Downie.
The Green Sheep project will help sheep producers measure their on-farm natural capital and prepare for new supply chain requirements with regards to environmental sustainability. Janneke Scheeres, Tasmania project lead, noted that this project will help sheep farmers to navigate increasingly complex market processes and requirements and demonstrate the benefits that can come from investing in natural capital on their farms.
‘We can see a lot of new expectations from markets, who are looking for confidence in how their food and wool is being produced and how well the land is cared for – and that will mean farmers will need to be measuring and reporting on that and we want to prepare them for that and show them what they can do to prepare, and how to improve their land management.’
The first phase of the project will involve building connections across Tasmania’s sheep farming community and industry and setting up demonstration sites on sheep farms to show different pathways for farmers to invest in their natural capital.
This project is another fantastic example of NRM South’s long-standing work to support local farmers across our region in improving on-ground practices, market access and landscape resilience.
You can read more about our project here, read the SPA media release here and the media release from Minister Collins’ office here.
The Green Sheep Project is supported by the Australian Government through the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust, with additional contributions from across the sheepmeat and wool supply chains.