The CEFC has made a $50 million cornerstone commitment to the Transforming Farming Platform alongside an initial $50 million from the global Kempen SDG Farmland Fund. The science-led sustainable farming initiative is managed by Gunn Agri Partners, an Australian-based specialist agricultural asset manager with a portfolio of $300 million. The Platform will span mixed farming assets across the main cropping areas of Australia and will focus capital investment in underperforming small to medium farms to help lift productivity and optimize land use.
Using expert advice from a team of leading agronomic and environmental advisers, including the CSIRO, the Platform adopts data-driven practices to make the farms more productive and resilient in a changing climate.
This includes integrating regenerative farming methods and improved land management techniques to optimize yield productivity, reduce carbon emissions and sequester carbon. Incorporating data from the CSIRO, including their Yieldgap research, the platform will look at cropping systems, weather and soil data, and crop variabilities to optimize production.