My name is Brett Smith & I am a Director on the WoolProducers Board as part of my role representing QLD woolgrowers through AgForce. I am involved with my family property at St George while also working for Elders as a District Wool Manager based out of Tamworth, where I reside with partner Tori & daughter Polly.
Through my involvement with AgForce I have also been involved with a steering committee for a project AgForce has undertaken around evaluating Natural Capital for landholders called AgCare. Providing input particularly from a wool perspective into this process has been a great opportunity with an increased desire by our supply chain partners to understand the environmental footprint of producers and move away from the carbon “tunnel” vision that has taken hold across the globe.
It also provides an opportunity for individual producers to start providing what is termed ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) credentials which all corporate entities will have to begin reporting on soon. With this will come an expectation from particularly financiers that producers will have to provide something and AgCare is a great starting point with that.
This may sound like another layer of administration, which presents as a challenge, but AgCare is actually an opportunity to help promote the great work already undertaken on farm.
That’s why when AgCare was first created it had the following Vision & Purpose written:
VISION - Landowners recognised and financially rewarded for maintaining and enhancing the natural environment of their landscapes for the benefit of all.
PURPOSE – AgCare is the vehicle that identifies natural assets and management actions that support and enhance our natural environment and efficient and productive businesses.
After having these foundations put into place the more tangible outcomes AgCare of being a whole of agribusiness assessment tool developed by producers for producers that identifies:
On property ecological values
Agribusiness carbon balance
Specific commodity activities
ESG Elements
Climate risk and mitigation
Activities that enhance natural capital
Once these areas are identified after the assessment a baseline is formed, financial values can begin to be placed on natural capital, carbon, biodiversity and sustainability at the individual level. This creates an opportunity in the future to increase financial returns by monetising these aspects and lower costs through re-negotiated debt and insurance costs.
Specifically, to the wool supply chain, consumers are becoming more concerned with the origin of the products they purchase and wishing to know the impacts of fashion at all stages of the value chain AgCare is a great starting point. Combining AgCare with other great industry initiatives such as Trust in Australian Wool, the Australian Wool Traceability Hub and the Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme provides the greatest opportunity available to woolgrowers to demonstrate the fantastic credentials they have at a time when this information is becoming more valuable.
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WoolProducers Australia contacts:
Adam Dawes
General Manager
0455 442 776
About WoolProducers’ Australia
WoolProducers plays a critical role in working closely with companies and entities funded by woolgrower funds including compulsory levies or fees for service.
Its mission is to develop constructive and profitable outcomes for woolgrowers nationally.
The agency is responsible for appointing a director to each of the Australian Wool Exchange and the Australia Wool Testing Authority, promoting good corporate governance and ensuring that the interests of growers are met.
WoolProducers maintains a working relationship with Australian Wool Innovation as the voice of woolgrower shareholders. It aims to contribute to AWI’s programs for the benefit of growers, promoting responsible use of levy funds and ensuring good corporate governance.
WoolProducers is the sole wool industry member of Animal Health Australia, and as such, carries a significant responsibility for decision making on behalf of the industry in the event of an emergency animal disease outbreak.
As the only wool grower organisation with membership of the National Farmers’ Federation, WoolProducers is responsible for providing key policy advice on behalf of our members, and other wool growers, to Australia’s peak farm body.
WoolProducers also works closely with the Federal Government Departments on key issues such as animal health and welfare, biosecurity, pest management control, natural resource management, drought preparedness, emergency animal disease outbreak preparedness and industry development, including research, trade and logistics.
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