Regenerative farmer, educator and Ebor grazier, Lorraine Gordon, has joined carbon farming company, Climate Friendly, to pursue her vision for Australia to urgently store carbon in the landscape at scale.
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"The planet is now at a critical stage of climate change vulnerability," she said. "We are feeling the extremes - from heatwaves, catastrophic cyclones and floods to drought and fires. Carbon farming is the most effective tool to counteract these extremes, by pulling carbon from the atmosphere and repairing nature", Ms Gordon said.
If Australia is to meet its commitments to limit global warming, Gordon says it must dramatically scale up the amount of carbon stored in new and regenerating forests, grasslands and soils.
"Farmers will play a critical role in mitigating the effects of climate change through changed grazing and farming practices. Carbon farming strengthens the land sector economy and builds biodiversity through landscape regeneration", she said.
The urgency of the climate crisis motivated Gordon to leave Southern Cross University, after seven years of groundbreaking research and education, including setting up the first regenerative agriculture degree.
"It's time for me to fully focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Climate Friendly's goals and my own are fully aligned. Through its high integrity carbon farming projects Climate Friendly has achieved a remarkable 30 million tonnes of carbon abatement to date. We're aiming to significantly scale up the number of carbon projects across Australia and I'm looking forward to being a part of that effort and having a real impact."
Ms Gordon will take the lead on Climate Friendly's Natural Capital pilot projects.
"There are many co-benefits from protecting our natural capital, including the increased productivity that comes from providing shade and windbreaks for livestock and regenerating native forest to allow animals, insects and birdlife to flourish.
"Biodiverse landscapes that aim for 100 per cent ground cover will capture every drop of rain into our soil profiles, acting as a shield against the elements, providing food and clean water for both livestock and people. The co-benefits are endless", she said.
Climate Friendly's Executive Manager of Business Development, Jay Hender, welcomed Ms Gordon as a valuable addition to its highly motivated team.
"Lorraine brings a wealth of expertise and understanding of carbon farming principles," said Mr Hender. "It's an exciting time for farmers and land managers with many emerging opportunities for them to strengthen their businesses, store carbon and repair nature."
