![Work on-farm towards reducing carbon footprint is not flowing through to better saleyard prices, producers say. Work on-farm towards reducing carbon footprint is not flowing through to better saleyard prices, producers say.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/38U3JBx5nNussShT8aZyYjc/728485b8-baf6-4c9d-973b-dbe6b1bf5450.jpg/r0_252_4928_3132_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
That climate change moves on farm can not occur in a vacuum to profitability draws no debate in the livestock game.
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Conversely, opinions differ on whether or not customers are actually willing to pay for environment and animal welfare credentials.
Major end-of-year industry forums have honed in on livestock's environmental reputation, running panel sessions featuring respected producers, corporate sustainability practitioners and beef brand owners.
At Meat & Livestock Australia's Updates event in Bendigo Tom Bull, from NSW prime lamb seedstock business Lambpro, said so much of the work done around reducing his operation's carbon footprint went hand-in-hand with reducing costs of production.
"Reducing days to kill, boosting fertility - there's no doubt ewes carrying two lambs have a huge impact on our carbon footprint and our bottom line," he said.
"The financial component is a key part of sustainability and the two can't be separated."
![Cattle breeder Will Wilson speaking at Cattle Australia's forum in Albury. With him is Highland Beef Pastoral's Murray Richardson and NSW producer Felicity Anderson. Cattle breeder Will Wilson speaking at Cattle Australia's forum in Albury. With him is Highland Beef Pastoral's Murray Richardson and NSW producer Felicity Anderson.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/38U3JBx5nNussShT8aZyYjc/e76e6386-13df-4bcb-b419-fbaaef4f16e0.JPG/r0_53_6000_3693_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Central Queensland cattle breeder and backgrounder Will Wilson, speaking at Cattle Australia's forum in Albury, said constantly fluctuating input costs made setting goals around environmental outcomes harder.
"By virtue of not being able to gain societal trust to look after the environment, ironically economic sustainability is being taken away from us," he said.
"Our access to resources and other income streams - timber, water - is restricted.
"Sustainability is diversity of income, among other things."
Jack Holden, MLA board director and general manager for sustainability in Fonterra's global markets region, said the customer and investor appetite for sustainability credentials was well documented but there was now an increasing awareness that it can't come at a cost to farmers.
So seeking out the win:wins was key, he said.
And those early economic wins would pave the way for longer-term environmental ones.
The idea that good environmental stewardship was not yet flowing through to better returns was also raised, although some brand owners were adamant premiums were already being achieved.
Mr Bull: "In the cold hard light of day, the environment does not have value at the moment.
"I think that is because our structures are broken.
"You can be carbon neutral and your lambs will get paid the same $5/kg that Joe Bloggs, who does a terrible job on the environment, gets at the saleyard.
"Globally we seeing huge appetite for the triple tier of eating quality, environment and animal welfare.
"This is an opportunity, if we can change our business structures in order to extract more from the consumer for these traits as opposed to dumping our lambs at the saleyard every week and hoping the two seconds a processor has to buy them delivers good value."