Evaluating transformative adaptation options for Australian extensive farming

Summary

​This project has conducted research across Australia’s extensive farming systems to examine adaptation options that provide resilience to likely climate change by 2030.  We have identified and evaluated the effectiveness of a range of options for land managers with grazing, mixed grazing/cropping and cropping enterprises that maintain or boost profitability in a climate that is changing and becoming increasingly variable, whilst reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (CH4, N2O and CO2).

We have considered the effectiveness of these options at multiple scales (farm, community and region) and against multiple criteria (profit, risk, environmental impacts, GHG emissions and community impacts).  This provides key insights into the challenges associated with managing land use change and transition resulting from climate change (variability) as well as the range of systematic adaptation options available across corridors that include both rangeland and mixed cropping/grazing and cropping land use to support such change.