Sponsors give thumbs up to Carbon Farming

Many major corporations are showing their support for the Carbon Farming community by sponsoring the world's first Carbon Farming Expo & Conference, in Mudgee on 16th-17th November, 2007.

The NAB is committed to encouraging sustainability in agriculture and approached the organisers of the conference with the sponsorhsip offer.

LANDMARK has joined the Carbon Farming community, sponsoring one of the categories of the Carbon Cocky of the Year - Carbon Cocky of the Slopes.

COUNTRY ENERGY is also a sponsor of one of the categories of the Carbon Cocky of the Year - Carbon Cocky of the Plains.

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL/AUSTRALIA is also sponsorig one of the categories of the Carbon Cocky of the Year - Carbon Cocky of the Tablelands.

Soil Carbon Market coming, says CSIRO

Australian farmers can grow carbon levels in their soils, and advances in science are making a market in credits more likely, says senior CSIRO soil scientist Jeff Baldock.

Dr Baldock, who will be presenting a soil carbon calculator at the world’s first “Carbon Farming” Expo & Conference in November at Mudgee, says a fully-functioning market in soil carbon could make it ‘more economic to farm for carbon than to farm for yield.’

Speaking on ABC Rural Radio, said the CSIRO is discovering more about the dynamics of carbon in the soil, seeking ways to predict the influence of agricultural practices on soil carbon levels. The only barrier to a healthy market at present is the price of carbon, he said.

“I could go most places in the country and institute some sort of agricultural practice that will build soil carbon,” he said. But at current low prices he says it is difficult to justify building carbon for carbon’s sake.

Dr Baldock believes that there are many other reasons to build soil carbon. “Carbon fulfils a whole bunch of roles in soils: it holds nutrients, it helps water-holding capacity, it buffers pH change, it provides energy for soil microbes. It has a lot of spin-offs for enhancing the productivity of soil.”