Farmers and producers in the Mackay and Whitsunday region will soon be able to learn more about the importance of integrating the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework on-farm, thanks to an upcoming workshop being held next week.

Learn more about ESG.

Delivered by the Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (TNQ Drought Hub) in partnership with Reef Catchments, the Mackay workshop is the first in a series across the region focused on increasing ESG awareness within the Australian agricultural industry.

Senior Research Officer at TNQ Drought Hub Ana Leite De Almeida has been leading national research on ESG on-farm adoption and will be facilitating the Mackay workshop.

Ms Leite De Almeida has been working with producers and growers in North Queensland to develop some of the first educational materials aimed at helping landholders better understand the ESG framework and how it can be applied to their farm. 

“The workshop aims to raise awareness about the ESG framework and help farmers to develop an ESG materiality assessment, create a sustainability baseline and build an ESG strategy based around practical examples,” said Ms Leite De Almeida.

“This is our first workshop dedicated to using the ESG on-farm framework, which has been developed by TNQ Drought Hub and is focused on equipping farmers with the knowledge required to develop their own ESG analysis and track their sustainability progress.”

Ms Leite De Almeida said it was vital for landholders to understand the role of ESG practices in ensuring future resilience, sustainability, and profitability for their businesses.

“Addressing sustainability challenges has become a critical issue for Australian producers,” said Ms Leite De Almeida.

“The concept of ESG is not new, but the Australian agricultural industry is a late adopter. Previously ESG efforts have been focused on corporations and large businesses, rather than at producers and landholders.

“The pressures for a more sustainable agricultural development model have increased as well as the use of ESG standards to improve sustainability.

“We know that an ESG analysis can help farmers to be more sustainable, reducing carbon emissions and creating more nature-positive impacts.”

Reef Catchments Drought Resilience Coordinator Carlos Bueno said workshop participants will encompass a diverse group, including sugar cane farmers, productivity officers, and representatives from both governmental and industry sectors.

“Workshops such as this one play a significant role in ensuring that growers have access to the latest tools promoting sustainability and sustainable land management and that latest research outcomes, reaches the right people,” said Mr Bueno.

“They also ensure that support is accessible for farmers and producers to be able to make any required transitions, changes, and adoptions in this space.

“We encourage those in the Mackay region who are interested in learning more about the ESG framework to attend the workshop and gain valuable insight into integrating sustainable on-farm practices.”

The workshop will take place on Friday 8 December. If you’re a local farmer in the Reef Catchments area and want to learn more, contact Drought Resilience Coordinator Carlos Bueno via carlos.bueno@reefcathcments.com or 0488 730 020. For more information head to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/workshop-esg-on-farm-tickets-755894228987