A $200,000 Country Road Climate Fund grant has led to the successful launch of an online toolkit to support Australian farmers in navigating the carbon market.
In 2022, Country Road granted Landcare Australia the $200,000 grant as part of its three-year Climate Fund initiative. The three-year initiative involves handing out $1.5 million in funding over three years to address climate change.
Landcare Australia has since successfully launched the Environmental Plantings Toolkit which is free to eligible farmers, helping them understand their opportunities to participate in the green economy.
Since 2011, the Australian Government has rewarded farmers for reducing or storing carbon through the Australian Carbon Credit Unit scheme (ACCU). While the scheme is growing in popularity, barriers to its uptake reportedly remain.
“The government’s carbon credit scheme provides benefits to the environment, landholders and the community,” Landcare Australia CEO Dr Shane Norrish said. “One way for eligible farmers to participate is by planting native vegetation to sequester carbon.
“Large-scale plantings can reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide, a primary cause of global warming and climate change, and restore biodiversity while controlling erosion and improving farm productivity.”
In addition to sequestering carbon, environmental plantings enhance on-farm conditions by improving paddocks for grazing, offering shade and shelter for livestock, and creating habitat for native wildlife. These improvements can also help farmers meet evolving supply chain expectations, particularly those set by brands purchasing natural fibres like wool and cotton.
“For eligible farmers, carbon farming may be considered as a way to diversify revenue,” Dr Norrish said. “Selling carbon credits may provide a valuable second income stream, supplementing their primary agricultural income.”
Dr Norrish added that the Climate Fund grant from Country Road provided critical resources for Landcare Australia to develop the toolkit.
“We look forward to growers utilising this resource and undertaking on-ground projects in the future,” he said.
The Environmental Plantings Toolkit was shaped by insights gathered from landholder workshops run as part of the project.
Consisting of six modules, the toolkit provides an overview of the carbon credit scheme, details on eligibility criteria for participation, a detailed look at the lifecycle of an environmental plantings project and more crucial information for landholders considering entering the carbon market.
Alongside its Climate Fund, Country Road was also the first Australian fashion retailer to partner with Oritain to scientifically verify fibre origin, and has also partnered with the Green Building Council to target best practice store design and the Good Cashmere Standard® by AbTF to support responsible cashmere production.
Since 2020, Country Road has provided over $1 million of funding to The Biodiversity Project, a partnership with Landcare Australia and local farmers aimed at increasing biodiversity in Australia's cotton-growing landscapes.
Country Road has also partnered with the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation (DAAFF) since 2020, navigating ways to support meaningful pathways for emerging Indigenous talent. Through this partnership, Country Road supports Country to Couture, an annual event for First Nations art and design talent, and the National Indigenous Fashion Awards (Fashion Designer Category), with the winner going on to undertake a 12-month mentorship with the brand.
Country Road operates around 170 stores, outlets and concessions across Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, which includes David Jones, Myer and Woolworths in South Africa.