Agricultural Carbon Sequestration

Whilst there has been a continued focus on the sequestration of carbon in soils and the ability to access Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) as the primary ‘Return on Investment,’ so why can’t there be a more holistic approach with an attractive business investment of which the ACCUs are only a part thereof, and the financial success of the project not being dependent upon the ACCU’s.

So, the introduction to a very early-stage startup that had identified a native tea tree with strong links to Western Australia as a source of honey production with greater properties than ‘Manuka Honey’, led to a unique opportunity. With the capability to grow in very dry, non-arable soils, the concept could be adopted within a broader Agricultural project allowing Western Australian farmers to change farming practices, incorporating methods like soil tilling and re-vegetation to participate in carbon farming, which would enhance soil quality, provide new revenue streams, and create new bio-diversity corridors.

The ability to turn non-arable soil into arable, carbon-rich soil that could enhance crop production and reverse the damage created by many years of drought to farming lands was a significant identification. When incorporating the production of a globally in-demand product, we see a very environmentally, and economically attractive business model which creates a carbon-negative supply chain a requirement for the achievement of Net Zero.

The first step was to identify the structure, team, and strategy required to deliver the business model. Subsequent was identifying key stakeholders for collaboration, including agricultural scientists, agronomists, farm management specialists, indigenous leaders, medicinal honey experts, government, and, importantly, farmers. 

The next steps included raising capital, quality assurance processes, analysis, authentication traceability methodology, and other operational practices, policies, and procedures.