An environmental, social and governance workshop provided Mackay and Whitsunday farmers and producers with a new way of looking at sustainability.
The Mackay workshop, delivered in partnership by Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub and Reef Catchments, was held last Friday as the first in a series set to be rolled out across the region.
The workshop focused on "increasing ESG awareness within the Australian agricultural industry".
TNQ Drought Hub senior research officer Ana Leite De Almeida facilitated the Mackay workshop following her dedication at the helm of the initiative, leading national research on ESG on-farm adoption.
Ms Leite De Almeida has been working with North Queensland producers and growers to develop some of the first educational materials aimed at helping landholders better understand the ESG framework and how they can apply it on their farm.
"The workshop aimed to raise awareness about the ESG framework and help farmers to develop an ESG materiality assessment, create a sustainability baseline and build an ESG strategy based around practical examples," Ms Leite De Almeida said.
"This is our first workshop dedicated to using the ESG on-farm framework, which has been developed by TNQ Drought Hub and is focused on equipping farmers with the knowledge required to develop their own ESG analysis and track their sustainability progress."
Ms Leite De Almeida said as sustainability had become a "critical issue for Australian producers", it was vital for landholders to understand the role of ESG practices in ensuring future resilience, sustainability, and profitability for their businesses.
"The concept of ESG is not new, but the Australian agricultural industry is a late adopter. Previously, ESG efforts have been focused on corporations and large businesses, rather than at producers and landholders," she said.
"The pressures for a more sustainable agricultural development model have increased as well as the use of ESG standards to improve sustainability.
"We know that an ESG analysis can help farmers to be more sustainable, reducing carbon emissions and creating more nature-positive impacts."
Reef Catchments drought resilience coordinator Carlos Bueno said workshop participants would include sugar cane farmers, productivity officers, and representatives from both governmental and industry sectors.
"Workshops such as this one play a significant role in ensuring that growers have access to the latest tools promoting sustainability and sustainable land management and that latest research outcomes, reaches the right people," Mr Bueno said.
"They also ensure that support is accessible for farmers and producers to be able to make any required transitions, changes, and adoptions in this space."
