AgriFutures Carbon Conversations

AgriFutures Chair, Cathy McGowan presents at the Agrifutures Carbon Conversations

Launch of report and next steps

On November 22, Mulloon Institute CEO Carolyn Hall and other invited guests from across Australia came together with the AgriFutures Chair Cathy McGowan and CEO John Harvey to explore what should be captured in Australia’s first agriculture and land sector plan for reducing emissions. 

Adam Fennessy PSM, the new Secretary for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) provided the opening address. Nick Blong, First Assistant Secretary for Sustainability, Climate & Strategy at DAFF introduced the Agriculture Land and Emissions Discussion paper. 

All attendees were asked to provide a 60-second pitch for what should be included in the sector plan. MuIloon Institute called for a national program for landscape rehydration and restoration that will rebuild our agricultural landscapes, enabling them to sequester carbon into the soil and, importantly, manage the increased energy coming from the sun with climate change. These rehydrated landscapes can deliver gains in biodiversity and productivity and unite rural communities and First Nations people in caring for Country to build landscape resilience to climate change. 

The Mulloon Institute now has a model that has provided a landscape rehydration priority map for NSW catchments, we know how to scale. We need regulatory reform to support landscape repair and we need ongoing education and capacity building for landscape rehydration and restoration for farmers, professionals and students. Funding delivery needs to drive collaboration rather than competition to ensure the best outcomes for the limited funds available to the agricultural sector. It was a great day that finished with envisioning the future of AgriFutures.

Mulloon institute CEO + Managing Director, Carolyn Hall, with David Gallacher, Knowledge Broker, Northern Hub.