MLA to launch Environmental Credentials pilot for grassfed beef producers
11 September 2023
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is seeking grassfed beef producers to take part in the piloting of an online platform that is under development in the Environmental Credentials of Australian grassfed beef project.
From 22 to 29 September 2023, 16 webinars lasting an hour each will introduce Australian grassfed beef producers to the platform.
After participating in the webinar, producers will be invited to trial the platform for their own property and to provide their feedback via an online survey.
The voluntary, free platform will enable producers to learn about sustainable farming practices, measure and monitor their environmental performance, and optionally share data with end users such as processors, banks, and retailers, to pursue opportunities related to environmental stewardship and respond to regulatory and market requirements.
The platform is an online resource underpinned by:
- a consistent and practical framework for measuring and monitoring environmental performance on-farm.
- a voluntary, national platform enabling beef producers to achieve science-backed environmental credentials and demonstrate these to markets.
- a learning resources, based on best practice programs and initiatives to help producers improve their knowledge and apply practices on-farm.
The platform covers five environmental themes: tree cover, ground cover, carbon balance, biodiversity stewardship, and drought resilience. These themes were selected due to their alignment with the environmental pillar of the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) through an extensive co-design process with stakeholders representing the entire beef supply chain.
The platform has been designed under a consortium partnership involving MLA, the University of Queensland (UQ) and WWF Australia using a Federal Government Smart Farming Partnership Grant (an initiative of the National Landcare Program).
MLA invites interested grassfed beef producers to take part in the platform pilot and provide feedback and insights for refinement and further development.
