Largest cattle co. commits to climate change action
It begins with a seaweed trial on feedlot cattle.
THE company which owns Australia’s largest cattle herd has announced five sustainability commitments aimed at improving animal health and welfare and reducing methane emissions from its cattle herd.
Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) CEO Hugh Killen was speaking in Brisbane last week when he outlined a range of initiatives being introduced by the company, including trialling a seaweed additive to feedlot cattle to reduce methane output.
The publicly listed company also plans to establish a new fund to help turn climate science and research into ‘real world action’, invest in new ways of measuring biodiversity and soil carbon on farms, and a commitment to creating a new certification standard for animal welfare.
Mr Killen said the initiatives were being launched as a result of demand from both customers and bankers, according to a release from the Australian Associated Press.
“The desires of our customers are being felt and expressed stronger than they ever have been before [on] provenance, traceability, sustainability, animal health and welfare,” Mr Killen said.
“Understanding the whole life cycle is actually key to every conversation we have in the market, all around the world and they're demanding change.”
He added that climate politics had created a challenging situation for the sector.
“The political environment is obviously constantly changing and stakeholders' expectations within that are very diverse.
“In many forms, I think it's actually quite unfair, but it is what it is. And we're going to have to deal with that,” he said.
“Obviously, increasing regulation is coming in a big way, it's going to restrict access to global markets, for sure. And future access to capital is uncertain, I think, for businesses that don't actually have a sustainability journey.
“We're seeing that with bankers already … the flip side for that is obviously businesses that can show and demonstrate progress against sustainability goals will get plentiful capital, and probably reduced rates.”
THE company’s trial on the seaweed additive will be run in conjunction with eco-tech company Sea Forest using a seaweed supplement Asparagopsis, which is “yet to be tested in Wagyu and over 300-days in a non-laboratory environment”.
AACo initially plans to commit 80 Wagyu cattle to the trial.
“Only through trials like this can we fast-track the application across the broader industry and make the changes that we, along with our customers and the public, expect,” Mr Killen said.