Organic Insights Magazine - Summer 2022

Organic Insights / Summer 2022 / 21

state of the environment report

The recently released Commonwealth State of the Environment Report continues to document the decline of our environmental assets – our biodiversity, water resources and natural capital.

While uncomfortable reading, it reads (in part) as a vindication for all of the organic farmers who started to vocalise way back when industrialised farming first took a foothold. The report emphasises the importance of biodiversity, water, soil health; and environmental, economic and social equity - all central principles of an organic approach. The report is thorough in its scope and detailed in its findings; it acknowledges that Australian farmers and graziers make a large contribution to conserving and enhancing nature, “as stewards of 53% of Australian land.” While it’s not our intent to reproduce what readers may seek for themselves, it’s worth pointing out two themes from the report that directly validate and amplify the intent of organic farming systems. Australia needs to restore ecosystem function, build resilient landscapes, and equitably distribute environmental, economic, social, and cultural benefits. Valuing our natural assets is fundamental to preservation and sustainment. As such, the report calls for “scoping reference to look at the importance of production landscapes for biodiversity conservation and the effects of agricultural and forestry industries on the natural environment, species, habitats and indigenous sites of significance.” Soil management and data are vital to ensure land use is sustainable. According to the report, “Australia has had the third highest cumulative loss of soil organic carbon in the world over just 250 years” and identifies several key approaches: • “Healthy soils and functioning ecosystems

• “Carbon management needs to be integrated with ecological restoration of native vegetation, soil, and biodiversity.” • Nature-based solutions to recover natural capital values, including ecological restoration through biodiverse carbon farming, have the potential to address up to 20% of the current climate crisis (Roe et al. 2019) while providing environmental benefits and economic return to regional communities. • Large-scale, successful, biodiverse and carbon- rich ecosystem restoration can potentially shift this liability into an asset (Young et al. in press). The report also identifies that, “The foundation for the restoration economy in Australia is the carbon market, and emerging natural capital markets in native vegetation management and environmental stewardships; these also support Australia’s sustainability market brand.” We talk more about natural capital markets in this edition of Organic Insights. The report is unequivocal in its call to: • empower Australians to be active stewards of nature • respect and maintain traditional ecological knowledge and stewardship of nature • improve conservation management of Australia’s landscapes, waterways, wetlands and seascapes • reduce threats and risks to nature and build resilience • use and develop natural resources in an ecologically sustainable way. Further Information soe.dcceew.gov.au/land/management/resources corrs.com.au/insights/synergistic-ambition- unpacking-the-federal-governments-environment- and-climate-change-reform-agenda

represent a significant opportunity for sequestering atmospheric carbon from greenhouse gas emissions.”