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https://theconversation.com/farmers-are-boosting-their-profits-and-production-with-natures-help-271750>
"Farming is a vital industry, contributing an estimated A$100 billion to the
Australian economy this year alone.
Nearly 60% of Australia is used for agriculture. The lion’s share of that land
is used to graze livestock, such as cattle, sheep and, increasingly, goats.
However, our farming and environmental sectors have long been perceived to be
at odds. This is because agriculture remains a major emitter of greenhouse
gases. Another reason is it requires vast amounts of land to be cleared, often
with devastating consequences for native wildlife and vegetation.
For many years now, governments and community organisations, such as local
Landcare groups, have encouraged farmers to restore nature on their farms. This
is one way to increase their “natural capital”, which refers to the sum of all
natural resources that provide products and services of value to society. This
includes the soil, air, water and all living organisms.
Some farmers have been keen to boost their natural capital. Others, however,
see it as a waste of time or money.
But our world-first study shows maintaining and restoring nature on farms can
actually increase farmers’ productivity and profits.
So how is this possible? And how can we encourage more farmers to invest in
nature?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
