Sheep Producers Australia (SPA) is the national peak body representing Australia's 20,000 sheep meat producers.  Our producers work hard, and we do too to enhance the productivity, profitability and sustainability of the sector. We do this by:

·    advocating on behalf of producers with government and industry stakeholders

·    monitoring investment of producer levies

·    engaging with our State Farming Organisation members

·    consulting with industry and sharing important information and solutions

·    improving understanding of the key issues facing Australian sheep farmers via media and other communication and engagement channels.

Project:  Understanding the Value & Potential for Agroforestry

Summary:

Agroforestry incorporates trees and bushland into agricultural/farm operations. The key purpose behind agroforestry from a production standpoint, is to shelter and protect soil, animals and crops from harmful weather conditions such as strong winds and heavy rains etc. However, with the emergence of climate sustainability and the necessity of emission reductions, the agricultural sector has found a dual purpose of agroforestry as a carbon sink and an effective way for producers to reduce their carbon footprint. Agroforestry has a great ability to sequester carbon while the flora develops. However, once it reaches maturity and carbon absorption is no longer optimal, the value of this system for reducing emissions decreases.

Project Objective: This project will investigate the optimal capacity for sheep producers to adopt and utilise agroforestry in their agricultural operations. The project will examine the financial viability of incorporating agroforestry versus addressing other sustainability reporting requirements.