Nufarm pushes biofuel, crop protection in decarbonisation push

Farm Online

Crop protection and seed technology company Nufarm has highlighted biofuel and crop protection products as critical planks in the nation's bid to decarbonise agriculture.

In its submission to the government's Agriculture and Land Sector Decarbonisation Plan, Nufarm highlighted the role of the production of sustainable biofuels, both from traditional feedstocks and newly developed lines such as Carinata, a non-edible oilseed developed by Nufarm's subsidiary Nuseed.

"There are established and emerging solutions that will help Australian farmers lower their carbon emissions through the sustainable production of crop-based feedstocks for renewable fuels," the submission said.

While biofuel's future has come into question in some circles due to the emergence of technologies such as electric vehicles, Nufarm said it had important role to play.

It said there would continue to be a role to play for liquid fuels in hard to abate sectors such as agriculture and transport for the medium to long term.

In order to minimise the fuel's carbon footprint it said locally produced renewable feedstocks and fuels can help decarbonise these hard-to-abate sectors while strengthening Australia's fuel security and supporting the country's net-zero transition.
"Greater utilisation of local crop-based feedstocks for renewable fuel production can support agricultural decarbonisation through the increased removal and storage of carbon, and production of biodiesel for use in farm machinery. "

"The development of a local renewable fuels industry will facilitate the scaling of feedstock production that will support farmers' sustainability, productivity, profitability and resilience."

It said that oilseed crops used to make the biofuel could help restore carbon to the soil as part of a suite of sustainable crop management practices, while on the consumption side, renewable diesel could provide a solid alternative to diesel derived from fossil fuels.

Naturally for a crop protection business Nufarm talked up the positives of farm chemicals as a means to help growers mitigate the risk of climate change and improve productivity through practices such as no-till cropping, which is reliant on spraying to help keep weed burdens down.

It said government needed to recognise the contribution of crop protection products in managing climate change.
"Recognition of and support for the role of crop protection products in climate change mitigation and adaptation will encourage further innovation and greater community understanding of their role in supporting sustainable agriculture," the submission said.

Other jurisdictions are taking the biofuel credentials of Australian oilseeds seriously.

The European Union has granted Australian canola low emissions credentials as an established decarbonisation solution.
Meanwhile, Nufarm is upbeat about the potential about new crops such as Carinata, which is said did not have to compete with food markets and can use marginal or degraded land."