Organic Insights Magazine - Summer 2022

16 / Organic Insights / Summer 2022

REGEN FARMERS MUTUAL :

As with any new market, the carbon market has ushered in several emergent schemes, consultants, and advisors. Navigating the territory can be daunting for many farmers, particularly for smaller operators, and knowing who to trust is the key. Regen Farmers Mutual is a fully farmer owned cooperative that seeks to empower members to participate in diversified carbon and environmental markets, through providing a coordinated advisory and support network, and technology tools. More than 80 landowners and conserva­ tionists collaborated to design the cooperative model, which was originally piloted and proved with partners, Accounting for Nature, and the Murray Land Improvement Group. The cooperative offers several benefits; it provides an easier path for farmers to participate in the market and capture value on farm, reduces the typically high costs paid to brokers and consultants, and provides ease of access to technology that assists in assessing the value of natural capital on farm, and to record, monitor and report activity – at low cost. Ultimately, the cooperative model puts the power back in the hands of the farmer. According to co-founder AndrewWard, “the model represents an effort to democratise ecosystem services rewards and data with farmers.” “In Australia, we’ve seen an effective de- mutualisation – with the demise of the Wheat Board, the Barley Board and others,” he says. “We are the first farmers mutual that has arisen in decades.” CO-OPERATIVE MODEL HELPS FARMERS ‘CAPITALI SE ’ ON NATURAL CAPITAL

Left: Bruce Maynard, Bob Hawke Landcare Award winner 2022 and AndrewWard, Regen Farmers Mutual

Under the mutual model, farmers get to keep more value from their efforts. “Regen Farmers Mutual advisors help identify and define projects,” says Andrew. “They assist with on-boarding, look at the emissions balance and what can be done on farm, and coordinate with farmers in areas to look at broader biodiversity and hydrological projects.” Central to the member service provided by Regen Farmers Mutual is access to a technology platform that assists environmental assessment, recording and reporting. Developed through initial crowdfunding, the ‘commodity-agnostic’ platform effectively creates a ‘digital twin’ that establishes a baseline of farm environmental assets, including soil, water, and biodiversity. This Environmental Farm Assessment enables farmers to take stock and understand the value of their environmental assets and forms the basis for identifying opportunities to improve biodiversity or sequester/remove carbon on farm. The tool is then used to record, monitor, and report continuous improvement that provides