Australia’s red meat industry “can be carbon neutral by 2030”
23/11/2017
Mr Norton said achieving this goal would put Australia head and shoulders above its competitors, give consumers even more confidence in the quality and integrity of Australian red meat, and defend the industry against environmental criticism.
Despite the strong reputation that Australia’s red meat has with global consumers, he insisted the industry must continue to react to changing consumer demands and respond to emerging threats and market disruptors if it is to prosper in the future.
“With industry commitment, the right policy settings and new investment in research, development and adoption, the Australian red meat industry can be carbon neutral by 2030,” Mr Norton said.
To this end, MLA has launched a project with CISRO, the Australian government’s agency for scientific research, to identify pathways for the red meat industry to become carbon neutral.
Mr Norton explained that the project has identified a series of innovations to achieve this, including the expanded use of legumes and dung beetles in pastures, feed supplements, feedlotting and vegetation management. There has also been research into a potential vaccine to reduce methane production.
He also highlighted some of the potential advantages of a carbon neutral Australian red meat industry. These included increased productivity, additional farm income from carbon mitigation projects and a major contribution to government targets on emissions reduction.
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