Strategic partnership to unlock benefits of carbon projects for Australian farmers

Australia, June 2, 2023 – Farming businesses will be able to explore the potential benefits of carbon farming and design and implement projects following a new partnership between Delta Agribusiness Group and Select Carbon.

The partnership will combine the skills and experience of Select Carbon, a specialist carbon farming company and Delta Agribusiness, an independent farm advisory business, to develop and implement carbon farming projects to add value to farming businesses through productivity improvements and the generation of carbon credits.

Under the partnership, farmers will be able to:

· Design carbon projects that optimise production and increase whole-farm profitability while building soil carbon;

· Create market opportunities for early integration of new technologies (including new soil products); and

· Future-proof and improve the sustainability of their businesses around carbon sequestration and GHG emissions.

Carbon farming under the Australian Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) has been available for many years, however, there has been limited uptake of the Soil Carbon Method as farmers are unsure about the costs of baselining, requirements of a project, alignment with farm business goals and the specialist carbon skills required.

An open and evidence-based interaction between a farming business, Delta Agribusiness and Select Carbon can build the confidence of a farmer that the appropriate due diligence assessments are made, with risks and benefits fully considered at the level of the carbon project itself and at the whole-farm business level.

“Our partnership with Delta Ag will give the farming sector access to independent, industry-leading and data-driven insights from agronomists and soil carbon specialists to reduce the risks and optimise the returns from carbon projects, making farming businesses more profitable and resilient” Dr Susan Orgill, Select Carbon soil carbon program manager, said.

Delta Agribusiness is a highly respected independent supplier of farm inputs, farm consultancy and agronomy services, coupled with innovative technology solutions and other agricultural core services to its customers across Australia. Delta Agribusiness is built on a foundation of providing its clients with independent and experienced farm consultancy and agronomy services with an overarching focus on adding tangible value to its client’s businesses across its expanding Australian footprint. Delta Ag is passionate about sustainable agriculture at all levels and is highly committed to investing in the rural communities in which it operates.

Delta Ag executive director Chris Duff said: “Carbon farming is still a ‘grey space’ for many farmers and it has been difficult for farmers to know who has the appropriate expertise and credibility.

“Select Carbon has a highly experienced and credible team that will provide both the sound business case and technical expertise for any carbon farming projects. The strategic partnership will enable farm businesses to work as a collaborative team with their primary farm advisor and carbon farming partner to the benefit of the overall farm operation in achieving better outcomes at all levels.”

Select Carbon tailors projects that go beyond compliance and benefit farming systems by overcoming soil constraints, meeting water limited yield potential, incorporating elite legumes and their rhizobia into crop rotations and pastures, addressing nutrient requirements and planning grazing management.

“Bringing the right fit of carbon and farming experts together is so important as the viability of soil carbon projects and the integrity of the credits generated ultimately depends on the implementation of new, or additional, farming practices,” Dr Orgill said.

“Carbon can be an add on and should not require a trade-off with other key metrics of a farming business”.

Farmers own their carbon project and earn carbon credits and can sell them on the market or use them to offset their own emissions.

See below the Delta Ag footprint map: