Research has found that while grain growers have a strong standing in terms of low emissions on the international market, reducing the industry’s domestic emissions by 2030 without forfeiting profit could prove a challenge. 

The report released by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) revealed Australian grain growers are producing low emission grain in comparison to other large producers in the worldwide market, including the EU, USA, Canada, Russia and Ukraine. 

GRDC Chair and Goondiwindi Grain Grower John Woods said that the report is crucial to setting a greenhouse gas emissions baseline for the sector.

Despite having a target of reducing emissions by 2030, he also said that exploring opportunities to maintain or increase profitability was a large consideration. 

“Grain growers manage about four per cent of the Australian continent with 22,300 grain farms covering an estimated 31 million hectares, so they play an important part in delivering economic and environmental outcomes on behalf of the broader community,” Mr Woods said. 

“International markets are now looking to source grain grown with the lowest emissions and they should be looking at Australian grain growers. We are amongst the most efficient producers in the world,” he said. 

While cutting emissions even further raises Australia’s reputation on the international market and provides opportunity for a competitive advantage, the threat of losing production and having existing market share being usurped by other countries could be too great.

Leader of the 18-month research initiative and CSIRO Senior Research Scientist Dr Maartje Sevenster said that reducing overall net emissions of the Australian grains industry by 2030 is unlikely to be achieved without decreasing Australian production. 

To lower emissions by 2030, 5.5 per cent of the current area used for grain cultivation would need to be set aside for environmental plantings to offset greenhouse gas emissions, costing up to 10 per cent of the current gross value of production. 

Instead, there has been a focus on maintaining existing emissions while increasing production. 

“While this is not the same as reducing emissions, it is a very important finding. The next step is to determine what information and tools farmers need to make those modelled scenarios reality,” Dr Sevenster said. 

There are, however, opportunities to reduce emissions intensity in grain production that are being investigated. 

“Six scenarios were modelled to reduce emissions intensity: current rotations and nitrogen rate, best practice nitrogen application, perfect nitrogen management, optimised rotation, green ammonia fertiliser and controlled traffic farming,” Mr Woods said. 

Existing investment from GRDC into emission-lowering include nitrogen use efficiency research and the development of green ammonia fertiliser. 

The CSIRO report indicated the collective adoption of modelled scenarios could reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity per tonne of grain by up to 15 per cent. 

“Going forward recommendations from this GRDC commissioned CSIRO report will help inform RD&E that supports a realistic trajectory towards reducing the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of Australian grain production, through practices that can be integrated into a profitable grain production business,” Mr Woods said. 

The future direction of investment will be crucial to Australia’s emissions reduction plan to achieve zero emissions by 2050, and how new modelling can alleviate any threat to current or growth in grain production levels.