澳大利亚肉类及畜牧业协会（MLA）携手维特拉生态工程公司，试点全新水质改善环境交易项目，同时测算农场内水质改良举措能否同步提升养殖生产效益。
牧场经营主体采用畜牧放牧管理（GLM）规范实施场内治理项目，减少泥沙流入生态敏感水系，即可参与大堡礁及全国水质改善计划，获取可交易环境信用额度。
畜牧放牧管理规范能够量化优化放牧用地方式所减少的泥沙流失量，激励牧场主在强降雨来临前提升地表植被覆盖度。
符合补贴条件的措施均能有效增加地表植被，包括调整放牧管理制度、配套设施搭建、杂草治理及原生植被养护等。
该水质改善计划由澳大利亚生态交易市场运营管理，依据澳大拉西亚流域水质改善标准，项目适用范围近期已从大堡礁流域拓展至全国所有重点保护水系。
本次试点正在征集多处示范场地，作为全国扩容计划下首批注册落地的畜牧放牧管理规范项目。
有意开展或已实施土壤碳汇项目的土地持有者均可报名，探索水质改善项目与澳大利亚碳信用（ACCU）项目叠加实施，以此提高综合收益。
维特拉生态工程公司安德鲁・耶茨表示：“我们认为综合土地综合治理是行业发展方向，同步优化地表植被、放牧模式与土壤状态，有望一次性实现多重生态效益与生产收益。”
“本项目不只是为了产出环境信用额度，更旨在形成实地实证，证明完善土地生态可同步赋能养殖产能、水质保护与农场多元化增收”， 安德鲁补充道。
主办方将协助土地持有者制定场内治理实施方案，全部监测、数据上报工作均由维特拉旗下 DROVER™土地管理系统提供配套服务。
安德鲁介绍：“DROVER™借助遥感技术监测地表植被覆盖变化，量化对比历史与当前泥沙流失差值，让项目经营者清晰掌握地块生态现状。”
从大堡礁流域拓展至全国水系
ENVOMARK 大堡礁信用交易计划已有多个农产品行业参与相关项目，项目核心为削减氮元素与泥沙径流，该计划获昆士兰州政府及联邦政府认可，是官方核准的碳补偿机制。
该计划公开登记数据显示，14个项目累计生成超68000份环境信用额度，其中42046份已完成交割，买方涵盖航空、银行、矿业等行业。
目前大堡礁信用计划下尚未注册任何畜牧放牧管理（GLM）项目，随着机制拓展至全国水系，相关部门期待更多土地经营者参与其中。
澳大利亚生态交易市场首席执行官戈斯利克・舍佩斯博士表示：“我们十分欣喜畜牧放牧管理核算方法已通过澳大拉西亚流域水质改善标准（ACWIS）认证。”
“这意味着农户迎来一条全新增收渠道，该收益不受农牧行业行情波动与行业困境影响。”
“我们期待与各地农户合作，在全澳推广此类环境交易市场；同时呼吁包括新成立的国家环境保护局在内的各级政府机构，认可高可信度环境信用额度，肯定其对实现自然正向发展目标的价值。”
参与本次试点的土地持有者可享受以下配套支持：
符合条件的参与者可享受前三年免费水质项目开发服务。
提供全牧场放牧管理整体规划协助，包含土壤、水质基准评估及土地提质潜力分析。
代为完成监管部门要求的全部监测与上报工作。
试点全程提供持续技术指导。
可通过合作机构 Agriprove 免费评估地块是否适配土壤碳汇项目。
免费参与田间观摩、示范推广及行业经验交流活动。
消息来源：MLA
New environmental market opportunity for graziers expands from reef to national waterways
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has partnered with Verterra Ecological Engineering to pilot new environmental market opportunities in water quality improvement and measure whether on-farm actions that improve water quality also deliver productivity benefits.
Grazing enterprises are eligible to earn credits through the Reef and national water quality improvement schemes for on-farm projects that reduce sediment run-off to sensitive waterways under the Grazing Livestock Management (GLM) method.
The GLM method quantifies the reduction in sediment losses resulting from improved grazing land practices, aiming to incentivise graziers to increase ground cover before high-intensity rainfall periods.
Eligible activities include a range of actions that could be expected to increase ground cover, such as grazing management changes, installation of infrastructure or weed and native vegetation management.
Administered by EcoMarkets Australia, eligibility to participate in the water quality improvement scheme has recently expanded from the Great Barrier Reef to all sensitive waterways nationally, under the Australasian Catchment Water Improvement Standard.
The pilot is seeking a number demonstration sites to be the first GLM method projects registered under the expanded national scheme.
Landholders interested in or already engaged in a soil carbon project are encouraged to apply to explore how water and ACCU projects could be “stacked” for greater returns.
“We believe the future lies in integrated landscape performance, where the same improvements in ground cover, grazing management and soil function can potentially generate multiple environmental and production benefits simultaneously.” said Andrew Yates of Verterra Ecological Engineering.
“This project isn’t just about generating credits. It’s designed to build real-world evidence around how improved landscape function can support productivity, water quality and diversified farm income together,” Andrew said.
Landholders will be supported to develop an on-farm action plan with all monitoring and reporting services delivered by Verterra’s DROVER™ Land Management service.
“DROVER™ provides project owners with insights into property condition by quantifying the difference between historic and present-day sediment losses through monitoring of ground cover change via remote sensing technology,” Andrew said.
From reef to national waterways
The ENVOMARK Reef Credit Scheme has had active participation from other commodity sectors in projects targeting reductions in nitrogen or sediment runoff and is recognised by the Queensland and Federal governments as an approved offset mechanism.
Over 68,000 credits have been generated from 14 projects with 42,046 retired to buyers from the airline, banking and mining sectors, according to the scheme’s public registry.
While no GLM projects have been registered yet under the Reef Scheme, it is hoped that more landholders are able to engage in the scheme with its expansion to national waterways.
"Eco-Markets is delighted with the approval of the GLM methodology under our Australasian Catchment Water Improvement Standard (ACWIS),” said Dr Goslik Schepers, CEO – EcoMarkets Australia.
“This signals the arrival of a new mechanism for farmers to tap into a revenue stream that doesn't fluctuate with primary industry trends and challenges."
"We look forward to working with farmers to scale these markets across Australia, and encourage government agencies, including the new National EPA, to recognise high-integrity credits and their contribution to a nature positive outcome."
The landholders participating in the pilot will be offered:
Participation in water quality project development at no cost for the first three years, where applicable.
Whole-of-property grazing land management planning support, including baseline assessments of soil, water quality and landscape performance opportunities.
Monitoring and reporting completed to the regulator.
Ongoing technical support throughout the pilot period.
Optional assessment for soil project applicability through partnership with Agriprove.
Access to field days, demonstration activities and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
Source：MLA
