Carbon Initiative Program
About the program
The Carbon Initiative Program is a $2 million investment across 15 projects to explore novel approaches to carbon storage, greenhouse gas emission reduction and emission avoidance, as well as methods to drive awareness, overcome barriers and develop market pathways for farmers, fishers and foresters.
Each of the 15 projects have been grouped into the below six themes:
- Innovative and novel solutions (e.g. Technologies and practices) for storing carbon or reducing or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture, fisheries or forestry businesses
- Evaluation of cooperative models under a carbon market as a method of increased engagement and uptake by producers, including exploring new or augmented approaches
- Market development pathways for producers—from identifying policy and regulatory barriers, to exploring new models and corporate partnerships e.g. Evolving consumer and retailer expectations and corporate, social and governance (CSG) responsibilities
- Novel approaches to identifying, developing and commercialising co-benefits from carbon farming for income diversification
- Increasing producer engagement and alignment of activities across the agricultural value chain in relation to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Partnership opportunities for AgriFutures Australia to invest in existing projects and initiatives that directly impact agriculture, fisheries and forestry producers’ knowledge and/ or capacity to manage carbon in their business.
Research Findings
Cooperative models to encourage smaller producers to enter the carbon market
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Identifying barriers to carbon farming and finding solutions
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Developing and decarbonisation co-benefits from carbon farming activities
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Increasing involvement of the entire agricultural value chain in reducing GHG emissions
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Partnership opportunities for AgriFutures Australia in existing projects.
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Chicken Meat
Aussie-grown legumes in chicken meat diets could boost industry resilience and food security
the 2025 AgriFutures Gary Sansom scholar, Shay Sadr’s research into Australian-grown legumes for use in broiler (meat) chicken diets is paving the way for a more sustainable chicken meat industry – cutting reliance on imported soybean meal without reducing productivity or bird health.
5 min read
NATIONAL CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES / 10.02.26
Systems Thinking: how agriculture can drive national resilience
As Australia looks to the future and seeks to build national resilience and prosperity, we know the challenges we face can’t be solved sector-by-sector.
3 min read
INSECTS / 10.02.26
Turning waste into protein: Australia’s emerging insect industry
A five-star hotel is not where most people expect to find maggots. Yet beneath the polished marble lobby of the Hyatt Regency near Sydney’s Darling Harbour, hundreds of thousands of black soldier fly larvae are hard at work, consuming around half a tonne of food waste every day.
4 min read
CHICKEN MEAT / 09.02.26
Stronger control, lower costs — bringing commercial biopesticide for lesser mealworm within reach
Lesser mealworm – also known as darkling or litterbeetle – is one of the most persistent and damaging pests in Australian chicken-meat production. Increasing insecticide resistance and limited control options has made lesser mealworm difficult and expensive to control, prompting the search for new solutions.
4 min read















