Farm services network, Nutrien Ag Solutions, has launched a farm emissions profiling service to help producers calculate their greenhouse gas emissions numbers and learn what to do about them.
The service aims to "cut through the noise in the sustainability space" offering farmers practical support and tools they need to inform future farm management decisions, and then implement efficiencies.
They could then be ready to capitalise on potential marketing opportunities which might arise from making proactive carbon management strategies.
A hotspot analysis of farm greenhouse gas emissions could typically include a 28 per cent contribution from fertiliser and urea use, 15pc from crop residues breaking down, 12pc from farm fuel emissions, and 37pc from Scope 3 emissions such as those generated transporting crops and livestock to market or via the production of fuel or chemicals used on-farm.
By helping farmers understand their carbon and methane emissions footprint Nutrien's head of commercial sustainability, Rebecca Underwood, said the company could then assist them to adjust their operations and practices.
"Farmers have been asking lots of questions about their emissions and looking for support in this space," she said.
As the focus on agricultural production sustainability continued to escalate, the agribusiness was keen to help producers learn about their emissions and on-farm opportunities.
We identify the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions from a customer's farm enterprise and discuss potential options to reduce them
- Rebecca Underwood, Nutrien Ag Solutions
Its new service was designed with the farmer at the forefront, using government- and industry-approved models to help them understand the sources of emissions in their farming operations.
"We identify the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions from a customer's farm enterprise and discuss potential options to reduce these emissions," Mrs Underwood said.
"We have a team of sustainability specialists who can assist farmers to collect relevant farm data to generate their total farm emissions and emissions intensity values per farm commodity.
"This shift towards farmers understanding their net farm emissions number, and how it is calculated, represents a great opportunity for them to understand their carbon footprint."
The emissions profile should provide an indication of a producer's on-farm emissions and help them take the next step to assess any environmental market opportunities.
The profile would help them to see an emissions intensity breakdown of individual farm production systems, receive emissions reducing options and discuss market opportunities with supply chain partners.
"It can put them ahead of the game to assess supply chain opportunities, and lead the next wave of best management practices," she said.
Once they knew what their own numbers were likely to be and market expectations they could use the insight to develop farm strategies which would support supply chain emission reduction targets.
Andrew Marshall
Andrew Marshall is the group agribusiness writer for ACM's state agricultural weeklies and websites. He is a former editor at The Land and has worked in various Rural Press group roles in Canberra, North Richmond (NSW) and Toowoomba (Qld).
Andrew Marshall is the group agribusiness writer for ACM's state agricultural weeklies and websites. He is a former editor at The Land and has worked in various Rural Press group roles in Canberra, North Richmond (NSW) and Toowoomba (Qld).
