CAVENDISH district prime lamb producer and Nuffield Scholar, Johnny Gardner, has had a report published detailing the results of a study he conducted into greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategies for prime lamb production.

Originally qualified in construction management, Mr Gardner took over the running of his family’s “Mokanger South” property eight years ago after working in project management at various locations in Australia.

His original application for a Nuffield Scholarship was for a broad-based study into prime lamb production, but it became focused on the challenges the industry faces due to the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

His study is entitled “Building a Balanced Australian Lamb Industry – Focussing on Moving Towards a Low Carbon Economy.”

The central theme of the study, as well as its findings, is the need for balance.

Early in his report, Mr Gardner states that in a changing regulatory environment around emissions, “... countries are looking at implementing a carbon tax or regulation that puts a limit on emission outputs. These strategies should align with farm productivity and profitability to support future protein demand...”.

Mr Gardner’s approach focuses on “carbon intensity”, which refers to the emissions level per unit (kilogram) of physical output.

He points out that 70 per cent to 95 per cent of the total emissions from a grazing operation is enteric (gut) methane from sheep and cattle.

As his most favoured approach to minimising methane, he stresses the value of legumes such as lucerne in lowering the emissions intensity of lamb production.

He cites one researcher who reported a reduction in methane emissions of up to 30 per cent, as a result of feeding lucerne.

Legumes contain tannins, oils, and other chemicals that inhibit the production of enteric methane.

Legumes can also increase productivity.

Mr Gardner observed this at Bog Roy Station in New Zealand, where Professor Derrick Moot, from Lincoln University, helped transform their farming system to include 14 per cent of grazing land planted with lucerne to finish lambs.

This transformation allowed them to produce more from the same amount of land and to bring forward the weaning age by 19 days.

Johnny Gardner also explores the role of additives such as Asparagopsis (bromoform), a type of red seaweed, as well as proprietary feed additives like Bovaer.

Another aspect he addresses is the value of herbs.

He also cited Irish research which explored the benefits of including herbs such as chicory and plantain in pastures to accelerate lamb growth rates with an attendant reduction in carbon intensity.

Indeed, readers may recall that it was recently reported in these pages that the Hamilton SmartFarm is also conducting research into the use of herbs in pastures.

Mr Gardner told The Spectator that he intends to increase the areas planted with lucerne at Mokanger South, where he runs a grazing enterprise based on 80 per cent of carrying capacity being devoted to a self-replacing composite ewe flock, with 20 per cent allocated to a spring-calving Angus herd.

Sustainability and biodiversity

ANOTHER aspect arising from Mr Gardner’s research is the increasing importance of both Sustainable Development and Biodiversity.

Regarding the former, he cites the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) stipulated by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

One of this Department’s SDGs is zero world hunger by 2030, which will require a 24 per cent increase in crop production and a 31 per cent increase in protein output.

Mr Gardner stresses at several points in his report that there must be a balance between production and environmental considerations.

With regard to biodiversity, Mr Gardner points to The Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which was signed during the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in 2022.

This framework sets conservation targets for land, sea, and inland water, to be achieved by 2030.

He is critical of some carbon sequestration strategies, particularly the planting of trees purely for carbon capture, which occurs in New Zealand (and has been mooted in Australia).

He also warns that such moves can result in “carbon leakage”, where carbon-efficient agriculture is displaced from the plantation site to another, more carbon-intensive location.

He also discusses the Macdoch Foundation’s “Farming for the Future” program, which aims to facilitate the implementation of whole-farm biodiversity strategies through revegetation and regeneration around productive agricultural systems.

Scholarship study tour

THE scholarship program Mr Gardner undertook involved an intensive 10-week study tour encompassing nine countries, including Japan, Israel, the USA, Ireland, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.

The group consisted of 10 scholars, including six Australians and four from other nations.

The scholarships are provided by Nuffield Australia, with additional support from The William Buckland Foundation.

After completing the study tour, Mr Gardner and his wife, Maddie McFarlane, undertook further travel and study.

Mr Gardner mentioned that New Zealand and Ireland had the most similar sheep production systems to what was used locally.

He also observed that the attitude of farmers towards government varied between countries, with feelings being “... very negative towards government in The Netherlands and Ireland but very positive in the USA”.

Regarding the Nuffield Scholarship, he describes it as being “... a truly life-changing experience and [it] will continue to be so through its incredibly diverse and extensive alumni network for years to come”.

Mr Gardner’s report can be found at: www.nuffieldscholar.org/reports/au/2020/building-balanced-australian-lamb-industry-focussing-moving-towards-low-carbon.