FOR many growers, carbon accounting still feels like something being driven by government, banks or supermarkets. But through two rounds of the Southern Forests Carbon Pilot, local producers found it could also be a practical way to better understand and improve their own businesses.

Delivered by the Southern Forests Food Council with support from the South West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, the pilot worked with growers across horticulture and livestock to develop farm carbon accounts using the Greenhouse Accounting Framework calculator.

The real surprise wasn't the carbon footprint; it was what it revealed. For many participants, the process highlighted that the biggest emissions drivers were often the same things already influencing costs, productivity and profitability. Fuel, tractor movements, fertiliser, irrigation, livestock growth, and yield all emerged as key business levers.

As one grower put it:

"The emissions work is a lens over the top of what we already do. It helps us see where the big levers are, without driving us to make changes that don't make sense for productivity."

The pilot formed part of the broader Southern Forests Carbon Strategy, which aims to ensure local producers are well positioned as market expectations continue to evolve.

"One of the objectives of the Southern Forests Carbon Strategy has always been to put our region on the front foot. Rather than waiting for carbon reporting and market expectations to dictate the conversation, we're working alongside growers to understand the opportunities, challenges, and practical realities of carbon on farm, and ensure those experiences help shape industry and government thinking," said Dr Arthur Wilson, Executive Chair, Southern Forests Food Council.

That philosophy shaped the project. Rather than focusing solely on carbon numbers, growers explored practical opportunities to improve resource efficiency across their businesses — from fertiliser, fuel, and irrigation through to livestock productivity, farm data, and emerging agricultural technologies. These actions don't rely on carbon credits, they improve efficiency, reduce waste and strengthen business resilience, with lower emissions often becoming a natural outcome.

The process was not without challenges. Beyond the practical task of collecting farm data, many participants expressed concern about the growing compliance burden facing agriculture. Growers questioned how increasing expectations around carbon reporting could be managed alongside the many other demands of running a farm, particularly where the costs and benefits remain uncertain for smaller businesses. They also found that current tools and benchmarks did not always reflect Southern Forests production systems, particularly perennial horticulture, grass-fed livestock, existing vegetation and local management practices.

Rather than simply identifying these limitations, the project captured grower feedback and shared those insights with researchers, government and industry. The aim is to help ensure future carbon accounting tools and methodologies better reflect the diversity of Western Australian farming systems while continuing to improve as new evidence becomes available. The work has since been recognised by the Western Australian Government as an important step in helping producers prepare for increasing market expectations around carbon reporting.

The takeaway for other growers is simple:

They don't need to be perfect, but they can help you better understand your business, identify practical opportunities for improvement, and be well prepared as carbon reporting becomes an increasingly important part of modern agriculture. WAG