Event Details

Where: Zoom Webinars
When: 21 June 2022 | 10:00am-11:30am AEST
Price: Exclusive to AOL members and Bud licensees

Climate Change and Organic Livestock

Organic Livestock is the third webinar in our climate change series, hosted by AOL Technical Officer Josefine Pettersson. Climate change represents numerous future difficulties for the agricultural sector with extreme weather events already costing Australian farms on average $30,000 annually and rising (ABARES). Organic agriculture presents a growing opportunity to mitigate climate change by reducing direct and indirect sources of greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration. Increasing soil carbon is just one of the many ways farmers can mitigate the effects of climate change. Join us as we delve further into this issue from a livestock perspective.

The Livestock Industry, through the leadership of Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) has had the most ambitious carbon-neutral goals within the agricultural industry. However, how is this substantiated and achieved? Steve Wiedemann will give an overview and breakdown of current livestock greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and how you as an organic business can reduce this. Followed by an update from MLA CN30 Project Manager Julia Waite on how we are tracking towards reaching this goal.  Nathan Moore, Sustainability Manager for Hewitt Cattle will discuss changes they have made within their business to improve drought resilience and reduce GHG emissions. As an expert in carbon accounting, the webinar will be open to questions for these authorities within their fields.

About Josefine Pettersson

Josefine Pettersson has a Masters of Organic Agriculture coupled with industry experience in both cropping and livestock. Having worked in the EU and Australia, she brings a new perspective of organic agriculture and insight to advancing opportunities of Australian producers. Having previously worked as a guide, educating tourists about climate change, she is passionate about mitigating greenhouse gas emissions through organic agricultural practices. As part of her Technical Officer role at AOL, she is focused on standards development, sustainability of production and market access to further advance the organic industry.

About Dr Stephen Wiedemann

Dr Stephen Wiedemann is Principal Scientist and owner of Integrity Ag and Environment. Steve has spent his lifetime working in agriculture and his professional career working in agri-environmental consulting. From addressing some of the biggest challenges on the agricultural landscape such as GHG mitigation and water resource management, to working with individual farmers to develop new intensive livestock facilities, Steve has a wealth of practical and research experience to offer and maintains an ongoing involvement in agriculture through their small scale sheep and cattle operation in northern NSW.

About Julia Waite

Julia Waite is an agri-professional with a background in startup, agtech and investment. As the CN30 Project Manager with Meat & Livestock Australia, she is excited to be an opportunity broker for the red meat sector in a decisive decade for climate adaption. Her role involves identifying high value opportunities and technologies that may reduce livestock emissions, increase carbon sequestration potential and support the red meat sector to achieve its carbon neutral target by 2030. Prior to joining MLA, Julia was Head of Operations at SproutX, a national accelerator and venture fund for agtech startups, based in Melbourne.

About Nathan Moore

Nathan Moore has spent the past 6 years working in Australia’s carbon industry, managing large-scale projects in the rangelands under the Climate Solutions Fund. Developing partnerships with landholders and property managers producing beef, lamb and goats across Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. Complimented by the study of Environmental Science through Central Queensland University. Nathan joined the Hewitt team in 2022 to develop pathways and platforms to recognise good stewardship, positive land use practices and achievement of environment and sustainability outcomes for an organic supply chain.