Biodiversity stamp rolled out for farmers to market their products

The policy statement, which outlines the Coalition's vision of a voluntary biodiversity market, is based on the successful elements of the government's enhancing remnant vegetation and native tree planting trials.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the government wanted farmers to be able to use less productive land to improve biodiversity, creating both additional income for farmers and environmental benefits that markets and investors were increasingly looking for.

"With this in mind we've tested and developed the components for the voluntary market," Mr Littleproud said.

"We've trialled science-based pilots of biodiversity services by farmers and developed tools to help them find buyers and market their achievements. We've also developed legislation so there are rules of racing.

The Australian Farm Biodiversity Certification Scheme will provide primary producers with a certification stamp and standard so farmers can showcase their biodiversity credentials to communities and markets.

The scheme standard was developed by the Australian National University and sets out how farms would be certified based on the condition of native vegetation on their property compared to their region, along with their ongoing commitment to biodiversity.

Mr Littleproud said the Australian Farm Biodiversity Certified stamp could be used by farmers in a range of ways to support their product marketing and promotion.

"This voluntary scheme will provide a scientifically credible, independent assessment of biodiversity outcomes on farm," Mr Littleproud said.

"This will help farmers pursue growing market interest in sustainability at home and abroad."

The biodiversity policy also includes the National Stewardship trading platform, which is open for business and allows farmers to plan projects or find buyers for their biodiversity activities.

"We've also introduced a bill in Parliament to create the legal framework for the market and committed $27.3 million in the 2022 Budget to address key learnings from the pilots," Mr Littleproud said.

"New funding will support easier market participation, including support from Natural Resource Management organisations and automated trading. We'll also invest in baseline data and remote sensing to support market confidence.

"Farmers are stewards of more than half of the land, and this package will recognise and reward farmers who actively manage their land to protect or enhance biodiversity."

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