New research strengthens Green Sheep Project
Sheep Producers Australia is pleased to welcome interns from the Australian National University (ANU), who are contributing research to the Green Sheep Project.
Their projects will help build the evidence and knowledge underpinning the project’s work to support sheep producers to understand and manage climate, natural capital and sustainability on-farm.
Research topics include Beyond the Fence Line, examining the socio-economic contribution of sheep to regional communities; Carbon in the Paddock, exploring soil carbon dynamics and opportunities for optimisation in sheep production systems; and Sheep and Sustainability, investigating the role sheep producers play in environmental outcomes.
Together, the projects broaden the Green Sheep Project’s evidence base across environmental, production and community outcomes.
Beyond the fence line - socio-economic impacts of sheep in regional communities. Issac Davis
Project summary:
Sheep production plays a significant role in shaping the social and economic fabric of many regional and rural communities across Australia. Beyond direct employment and economic contribution, sheep enterprises influence population stability, community identity, service provision, and overall wellbeing in “sheep towns” and surrounding regions.
This project will explore the socio-economic impacts of sheep production on regional communities, drawing on existing literature, reports and case studies. Areas of focus may include employment and income, demographic change, community resilience, mental health and wellbeing, and the broader cultural significance of sheep industries in rural Australia.
The project aims to synthesise existing knowledge to better understand how changes in sheep production systems, markets or policy settings may affect people and communities over time. The findings will contribute to broader conversations around sustainable agriculture that considers social outcomes alongside environmental and economic factors.
Carbon in the paddock - data analysis and literature review. Tracey Pike
Project summary:
Soil carbon is a key component of agricultural sustainability, climate mitigation strategies and emerging carbon markets. There is growing interest in understanding how agricultural management practices influence carbon storage and drawdown in soil, and how these changes can be measured, verified and interpreted.
This project will examine soil carbon dynamics associated with sheep production in different agroecological zones and production systems and assess existing and emerging soil and land management practices to optimise soil carbon in these systems. The project will also assess the uptake of soil carbon management and measurement by sheep producers, and evaluate key drivers (productivity, resilience, sustainability, carbon market participation), and limitations.
In parallel, the project will examine how soil carbon is treated in the current policy and regulatory environment, as well as soil carbon market opportunities, with particular attention to measurement approaches, permanence, variability, and risk. The findings will support industry understanding of soil carbon potential, limitations and implications for producers.
Investigating sheep and sustainability - understanding the role of sheep production in environmental outcomes. Olivia Taylor
Project summary:
Sheep production systems interact closely with landscapes, ecosystems and natural sources, influencing soil condition, vegetation dynamics, biodiversity and water outcomes. Understanding these interactions is increasingly important as producers, markets and policymakers seek to recognise and account for natural and carbon capital alongside traditional production metrics.
This project will explore how sheep enterprises influence environmental outcomes across different production systems and landscapes.
The project is expected to involve a literature review and synthesis of existing research, industry reports and policy frameworks, with scope to explore how environmental outcomes are currently measured, valued or reported in sheep production systems. The work will inform boarder discussions around production, market expectations, and emerging natural and carbon capital frameworks relevant to the Australian sheep industry.
