Wide Open Agriculture and CBH Group in carbon neutral grain marketing bid
Wide Open Agriculture and CBH Group are investigating whether there is a market for grain products grown under carbon neutral farming systems.
LISTED food company Wide Open Agriculture has joined forces with Australia’s largest grain marketer CBH Group to explore the certification and marketing of carbon neutral grain.
The two West Australian companies have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to pursue the marketing of barley, lupins and oats grown under carbon neutral farming systems in a bid to differentiate the state’s products.
WOA is a regenerative food and agriculture company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in Germany.
Regenerative farming involves building soil health through carbon retention and sequestration.
The new project aims to identify WA grains which meet carbon neutral specifications.
It will look at the processes and costs of carbon neutral certification and seek to see whether export customers are willing to pay for a differentiated product.
If it generates value, WOA and CBH might progress to a commercialisation phase.
WOA managing director Ben Cole said his company had developed a deep understanding of regenerative farming systems and was transitioning towards carbon neutral certification of animal protein and plant-based protein products it supplies to Australian and south east Asian consumers.
“Developing grain products with a clear understanding of their environmental impact from farm to customer could provide new market access and potential premiums for growers,” Dr Cole said.
CBH chief marketing and trading officer Jason Craig said Australian grain benefited from its strong clean, green reputation.
Mr Craig said CBH was seeing growing demand for sustainably produced grain.
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