“Previous efforts have been primarily focused on corporations and larger businesses, leaving producers and landholders with limited resources to understand and implement ESG practices effectively.

“Therefore, the educational resources and materials we’ve crafted at the Hub provide a foundational ‘blueprint’ for landholders. They cater to those who are new to ESG practices and require guidance on how to start, as well as those who have already adopted them and are seeking avenues for improvement.”

With an increasing number of global companies prioritising partnerships with ESG-compliant businesses, Ms Leite De Almeida emphasised the importance of on-farm adoption in attracting investors, securing export opportunities, and ultimately future-proofing the industry.

“ESG considerations are pivotal for the agricultural industry as they provide a holistic framework for responsible, sustainable and ethical practices, while also setting producers and farmers up for economic success in an evolving and competitive market landscape where sustainability is a core focus,” she said.

“It is imperative for landholders to embrace this shift to maintain their competitive edge and avoid being left behind.”

As part of her research, Ms Leite De Almeida has worked closely with producers and growers in North Queensland to implement the framework. Australia’s largest sugar cane farm owner, Australian Cane Farms Limited, is the first to pilot the ESG analysis workbook on their sugarcane properties in the Burdekin Valley.

Steve Kirby, Managing Director of ACF, agreed with Ms Leite De Almeida that Australian agriculture needed to be at the forefront of ESG developments.  Despite having existing ESG processes in place, Mr Kirby said the analysis was a valuable tool for identifying areas where improvements were necessary to enhance sustainability and profitability.

“Much of the work to date has confirmed that our social and governance practices are where they need to be, so the results reinforce the current systems we have in place,” said Mr Kirby.

“However, the ESG analysis provided us with the opportunity to pinpoint areas for improvement. Through this process, we recognised that our primary focus for long-term change needed to be on environmental factors.

“We were able to identify that improving environmental outcomes not only benefits the soil but also leads to better long-term yields, which translates to a better financial outcome.

“The process forced us to examine what we do and why we do it. With that knowledge comes the opportunity to explore how to ‘do it better’ both ethically and financially.”

The ESG resources are now accessible to the public, with the research findings set to be published in the proceedings of the 45th Annual Conference of Australian Society of Sugarcane Technologists (ASSCT).