1. Introduction
Transforming Australia’s food and land use system is vital to address and adapt to climate change.
The world faces an enormous challenge to sustainably provide healthy food for a growing population, while also addressing and adapting to climate change.
This will require transforming our food and land use system to cut emissions and deliver significant levels of carbon sequestration, reverse environmental degradation and address biodiversity loss.
Acting early on these issues also represents an enormous opportunity to improve agricultural resilience in regional communities and industries in ways that could improve diets, human health and expand our competitive advantages.
‘While Australia is blessed with abundant land, this land is finite, and subject to increasing competition between different uses. We want to understand how this competition could deliver all the outcomes we need from our landscape – production of healthy food and fibre for Australians and the world, reducing emissions and drawing carbon out of the atmosphere, environmental rehabilitation and increasingly energy production as well.’
Anna Skarbek
What we’re doing
Climateworks is engaging with stakeholders across the food, land and oceans system to find and support pathways that can produce sufficient, healthy food while meeting climate and environmental targets.
3. How we'll get there
4. Our Team
5. Partners
The program is led by Climateworks Centre (working within the Monash Sustainable Development Institute), Deakin University and CSIRO.
The program is contributing to and benefiting from participation in the global Food and Land Use Coalition, led by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, World Resources Institute, SYSTEMIQ and others.
6. Resources
Re-imagining land use for climate change
This year will be vital for determining the future of our climate. Embracing a nature positive mindset may shape it in the right direction.
- Paper
The role of regenerative agriculture in sustainable land use
Agriculture is a key export industry for Australia, the heart of many rural communities, and a significant source of employment. But covering more than half of Australia’s land mass, agriculture is also the main cause of human-induced land clearing and a driver of land degradation – and accounts for 16 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.
- Webinar
The briefing room: The twin challenge of tackling climate change while preserving nature
To limit warming to 1.5°C we need global emissions reduction as scale.
Australia has overshot three planetary boundaries based on how we use land
Understanding what sustainability means in practical, measurable terms for Australia’s land use sector is vital to enable humanity to continue to prosper, writes Climateworks' Dr Romy Zyngier for The Conversation.
- Report
Living within limits: Adapting the planetary boundaries to understand Australia’s contribution to planetary health
The Land Use Futures program at Climateworks Centre has adapted the global planetary boundaries framework to Australia, outlining how the nation is tracking against its share of the boundaries and what this means for the land use sector.
‘Living within limits’ report investigates the environmental boundaries in which Australia can prosper
Much of Australia’s environment is under stress. Living within limits can help change that, while allowing the nation a prosperous and healthy future.
Land use strategy and planning – a critical enabler toward net zero
How we strategise, plan and govern decisions around land needs to shift to support outcomes for climate and nature
- Paper
The Land Use Trade-offs model
The Land Use Trade-Offs model v2 (LUTO2) is a world-leading spatial model that maps the best way to use and manage land in Australia to meet climate and biodiversity targets without compromising economic growth and food and water security.
Food system transformation and the role of consumer demand
Citizens can play a significant role in food system transformation; however, decision-makers must address key structural, financial and psychological barriers if we are to maximise demand for sustainably produced food.
Soil carbon: A source or a sink in the net zero challenge?
There are no silver bullets. Soil carbon underpins healthy and productive soils, critical for food and fibre production and to sustain biodiverse landscapes. Soil carbon is just one of many nature-based climate solutions that the food and land use system can draw on to sequester carbon and reduce emissions – however, significant efforts across all sectors are required to reduce emissions and limit warming to 1.5°C.
Building Australia’s natural capital
Nature can be protected and restored through improved measurement and investment.
A crucial moment for food and land use systems
Momentum is building to transform global food and land use systems. As an agriculture powerhouse, Australia has an imperative to act, and an opportunity to seize.
Global food and land use transitions: Challenges and opportunities for Australia
Land Use Futures launches new series on challenges and opportunities for Australian land and food use.
- Webinar
The briefing room: Food and land use transitions
Globally, experts have identified ten critical transitions that can improve how we produce food and manage land.
Land use futures publishes natural capital roadmap
The first major output for the Land use futures program brings together ideas from leaders across the country on sustainable land use in Australia
- Report
Land use futures – natural capital roadmap
Our natural resources are an asset. ‘Natural capital’ positions our environment alongside other forms of economic management to inform decision making.
Land use futures launches interactive website on Australia’s land use
The project is also part of a global collaborative effort to achieve sustainable food and land use systems.
Land use futures team hosts natural capital summit
150 leaders from across the land use sector exploring opportunities for integrating natural capital thinking into how Australia uses its land.
Land use futures holds workshops in capital cities across Australia
New national sustainable food and land use project gets underway