Considering the shortage of building timber it might be better to incentivise landholders to grow high value timbers verses soil carbon credits for any other reason. As a consequence wealth is created by providing a product that increases in value once it leaves the farm.
Paying landholders engaged in primary production to increase soil carbon is a high risk + costly venture layered with bureaucracy. So a better option may be EG: landholder plants say 10,000 Silky Oak or Ironbark Trees for long term timber. At the end of year 1 or 5, once trees are established (somebody/government?) pays the landholder $20.00 per tree establishment fee. 100 trees per hectare is worth $2000 in advance which is about the actual cost of establishing trees. Long term value is maybe $20,000 per hectare for trees to be harvested in 40 to 60 years.
All tree proceeds belong to landholder less original $20 establishment fee paid back at harvest. As trees grow, land is managed and maintained for grazing or any other suitable activity. If landholder elects to sell land with established trees, land value will have increased in line with potential timber production.
In case you have not noticed Australia is already littered with tax payer funded non-effective carbon farming schemes especially around Cobar NSW and Western Queensland. Latest scheme operating in Qld pays graziers to increase soil carbon for 25 years from improved grazing practices that will increase cattle production. So now we potentially have more cattle being raised that can go into feedlots – verses – change the methods of production with a plan to eliminate feeding grain to ruminants.
There is little incentive for livestock production/consumer to be energy efficient from the paddock to the town sewer (which is where wagyu steaks end up). There is little incentive or planning for urban people/primary producers to be completely energy efficient simply by modifying management.
Consider situation with Sri Lanka = organic farming ideology destroys economy + only took a few years = yet seemed like a good idea at the time.
Carbon ideology is potentially wasteful = might be better to first prove it works first if taxpayer is footing the bill. But on the other hand some research is useful. Check out our work in progress below in these photos.
JIMBOUR Treeless Black Soil Plain was 200 years ago loaded with organic soil matter (OSM) in the range of 10-20% in the top 1 metre of soil. Today it grows cotton. At some point in the last 50 years OSM may have been less than 2%. Today with no-till chemical farming + regenerative cropping practices OSM may be upwards of 5%. Soil carbon fluctuates with seasonal rainfall + fire + grazing + overall management + soil type. If this farmer increases OSM then the farmer should increase profits. If we pay the farmer to increase OSM and then the farmer fails to maintain OSM ??? NOTE: Bunya Mountain Rainforest on Horizon + Cotton in Yellow Round Bales
Same district as above black soil country – however this is light loam at Janahn Forest Jimbour. This was farming country for 20 years (cleared in the 1970’s) after 20 years on light soil OSM was so depleted farming was abandoned and the country reverted to grass that was then over grazed for another 20 years. So while it has regenerated as of 2020 after 15 years of modified grazing management with intent to grow more grass combined with trees – it is still in the future prone to (1) fire + (2) drought + (3) overgrazing.
HERE in This Photo: Belah + Bunya Pine + Green Panic Grasses with JT Horse. In 2005 this was a moonscape without any ground cover or trees. Pasture restoration in this 600mm rainfall zone is a 10-15 year process.
Since 2017 this paddock has been planted and managed with Bunya Hoop Belah combined with grazing. The tall grass strip has just been ungrazed for 2 years. As good as this may be it still takes time and management to obtain any worthwhile result. SEE MORE in LINK ABOVE to Inland Forests with Bunya Belah Hoop Pine.
CONSIDER POTENTIAL of LIVESTOCK combined with Grazing Management to Develop Carbon Rich Grass Strips that will increase Rainfall Penetration without Constructed Earthworks. Scale is Key as Rainfall Decreases into Arid Zones.
This is Part of Adgingbong Paddock with constructed waterholes and soaks. These trees and sucker trees are all River She Oak. As you can see the ground is loaded with cow dung after cattle chewed off suckers that will reshoot and continue to thicken if allowed. Potential Low Cost Carbon Sink as these She Oak Suckers are self propagating. Shallow Pans with trees have application for returning water on light soils to artesian basin at low cost. Trees increase water penetration and will increase OSM combined with periodic grazing. Doubles up as Waterbird Habitat.
