Cargill program gets tick of approval from growers and customers

Simon Lowden, Arnott's Group chief transformation officer, said his organisation, famed as a major player in the baked goods industry in Australia, saw Cargill's program as a key means of creating a more sustainable supply chain.

"Our collaboration with Cargill is a meaningful step towards creating a more resilient and sustainably conscious supply chain in Australia," Mr Lowden said.

Mr Lowden said canola oil was a critical ingredient in a number of Arnotts products.

"Key ingredients for our products, including canola oil, plays a crucial role in this effort."

"Our intention is that as the program continues to grow and evolve, that it provides a step change for the industry,"

The SustainConnect program was launched earlier this year after a successful trial in the Riverina the year before.

The idea of SustainConnect is to equip participating farmers with essential tools, resources, and market access to allow them to pursue critical sustainability benchmarks, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) benchmarking and cutting emissions from crop nutrient programs.

Ben Fargher, Cargill Asia Pacific environmental market lead, said the program not only incentivised grower participation with improved soil health but potentially opened up new markets on the back of growing demand for certified sustainable production from both Australian and international customers.

Canola producers enrolled in the program can opt in to various sustainable farming practices such as nutrient management interventions, designed to cut down on emissions into the atmosphere, reduced or no-tillage methods that improved soil health and crop residue retention, which can help store carbon.

These practices were chosen not only for their value in improving soil health but also the contribution they make to decarbonising the agricultural supply chain.

Mr Fargher said there were huge opportunities for agriculture in the sustainability space.

"Agriculture holds a unique opportunity to adopt sustainable practices that address the global climate challenge while improving economic prospects for farmers-the backbone of our food

System," he said.

"By implementing changes at the grassroots level of our supply chains, with partners like The Arnott's Group, we can significantly reduce emissions and enhance soil resilience for future generations."

On the ground, farmers say they have found the project framework manageable.

Tim Gainsford, a canola farmer from Narromine in New South Wales' Macquarie Valley, said SustainConnect helped take some of the guesswork out of what are often extremely complex arrangements.

"As farmers, we're passionate about growing food with a lower carbon footprint, however, it's not always easy to navigate," Mr Gainsford said.

"SustainConnect gives us a chance to be rewarded for our sustainable practices."

In terms of generating the data required for the project Cargill has partnered with Regrow, a leading carbon measurement business, to measure, report, and verify carbon outcomes.

Regrow is using in-field data gathered via remote sensing along with crop and soil health modeling to provide the information required.

Mr Fargher said the SustainConnect program had been rolled out across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, with plans to extend it to Western Australia soon.