Search
Australian red meat industry stakes a claim for a carbon neutral future

August 9, 2023 | Earth.Org | Source

The Australian red meat industry, led by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 while doubling the value of Australian red meat sales within the same timeframe. Despite the ambitious nature of these twin goals, recent analysis by CSIRO indicates that the industry is already on the right path, with greenhouse gas emissions from the Australian red meat sector falling by 59% since 2005. This reduction has contributed to a drop in the sector's share of national emissions from 22% to 10.7% between 2005 and 2019.

The majority of emissions from the red meat sector come from cattle, primarily due to enteric methane emissions from their digestive processes. To tackle this challenge, the industry is implementing a range of strategies, including reducing land clearing, sequestering carbon through tree planting, improving soil management, optimizing herd management for efficiency, and enhancing feeding and grazing practices to reduce methane emissions.

To achieve carbon neutrality, MLA is collaborating with CSIRO to develop a digital assurance system that will provide producers with access to premium markets and prices based on their carbon-neutral credentials. This initiative aims to support the entire industry in adopting sustainable practices. Additionally, research is ongoing into feed supplements that can reduce methane emissions in feedlot herds, such as FutureFeed, which utilizes red algae to lower methane emissions by up to 80%.

The challenge of achieving carbon neutrality extends to grazing livestock, and research is being conducted into the emissions-reduction benefits of legume fodder crops and native shrubs. Genetics is also playing a role in breeding animals that produce less methane and grow more efficiently.

Moreover, MLA and CSIRO are working on establishing standards and verification mechanisms to ensure that carbon-neutral claims are trustworthy and verifiable, building consumer trust in environmentally sustainable meat production. Initiatives include the Environmental Credentials for grass-fed beef platform pilot, which aims to create an online tool for measuring and demonstrating environmentally sustainable production practices.

Through these efforts, the Australian red meat industry is striving to meet the growing demand for sustainable food while maintaining its competitiveness in the global market.

Viewed Articles
Australian red meat industry stakes a claim for a carbon neutral future
August 9, 2023 | Earth.Org | SourceThe Australian red meat industry, led by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 while doubling the value of Australian red
Read More
Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture Advances Low-Carbon and Circular Agriculture for Net-Zero Goal
January 23, 2025 | CNA NetZero (In Chinese) |  Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture outlined three key strategies to support the nation’s net-zero goal during the 3rd meeting of the Taiwan’s National Clim
IRRI and Kubota partner up on experiment to reduce GHG emissions
February 2, 2025 | International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) |  The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Kubota Corporation have launched a field experiment to evaluate strategies for r
Hybrid rice + innovations: a path forward for climate-smart agriculture
January 7, 2025 | International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) |  A recent study “Advanced technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from rice fields: Is hybrid rice the game changer?”, publi
Australian seaweed farm tackles livestock burps to combat climate change
May 15, 2025 | the japan times |  Off Tasmania’s coast, a 1,800-hectare seaweed farm is cultivating the red seaweed asparagopsis, known to significantly reduce methane emissions in livestock. Research
Farm smarter, not harder: new science-driven tool for net zero farming
February 6, 2025 | CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) | Australia’s “Towards Net Zero Agriculture Pathfinder Manual,” developed by CSIRO and the Clean Energy Finance
TOP