Where we invest

Agribusiness

Agribusiness plays a critical role across the Australian economy, with a well-earned reputation for quality produce, innovative production methods and local employment opportunities

– whether producing for the domestic market or extending into the highly competitive global market.

This track record makes agribusinesses ideally suited to capitalise on the growing wave of energy efficient and clean energy technology.

The CEFC is an active financier to agribusiness and we’ve worked closely with the sector to identify where clean energy technologies can have substantial benefits for on-farm production and energy storage activities. In an Australian first, the CEFC and the National Farmers’ Federation collaborated to produce a practical guide for Australia’s 85,000 farming enterprises, identifying 51 opportunities where farmers can reduce their energy bills by improving energy efficiency and switching to renewables.

Where to act

Change your energy use

Solar powered irrigation pumps

Solar hot water and heat pumps

Rooftop solar systems

Biomass energy-from-waste

Cut your energy use

Variable speed drives, high efficiency motors and pumps

Farm and process machinery upgrades

Efficient refrigeration

Efficient lighting, heating, insulation, ventilation and air conditioning

Lower your emissions

Farm equipment and vehicle upgrades

Co-generation and tri-generation systems for processors

Investing in agribusiness

4. Canola Growing Englefield NSW June 2020

FarmPrint benchmarking tool

FarmPrint is a unique tool designed to enable Australian farmers to monitor, benchmark and evaluate their on-farm carbon footprint, an important step in identifying actions that can lift the sustainability of their farming operations – improving their own FarmPrint.

Agriculture and clean energy

Agribusiness plays a critical role across the Australian economy, with a well-earned reputation for quality produce, innovative production methods and local employment opportunities – whether producing for the domestic market or extending into the highly competitive global market.

Cleaner, greener business, agriculture

Australia’s small to medium sized businesses and agribusinesses are taking control of rising energy costs by investing in technologies and equipment that reduce their reliance on grid electricity, as well as cut maintenance costs and improve productivity outcomes. Importantly, they can also lock in material reductions in their emissions, delivering a cleaner, greener footprint.

watch

Investing in Australia’s farming sector

The CEFC is working with the CSIRO and MIRA to demonstrate how clean energy technologies can benefit Australian agribusiness.

Case study

Downforce brings hi-tech soil solution to Australia

We are delighted to have the support of the CEFC and all our investors as we look to grow and scale our ground-breaking platform. Using data and insights from Downforce, landowners and institutions can optimise their decision-making and investments, confidently and efficiently measuring the benefits as they build natural capital and revenues.
Josephine Wapakabulo
Downforce CEO

Science-led sustainable farming initiative

As agricultural asset managers for institutions there is complete transparency in our financial performance. What is ground-breaking here is that we have embedded the same accountability in the delivery of soil carbon, carbon in vegetation, emission reduction, biodiversity and other sustainability measures.
Bradley Wheaton
Portfolio Manager, Gunn Agri

AgriWebb farming platform boosts farm sustainability and productivity

AgriWebb is already making farming more efficient and we believe it can also drive better measurement and management of emissions. The CEFC brings deep experience in decarbonisation and sustainable agriculture and joining forces with the Innovation Fund team will help AgriWebb improve its focus on sustainable farming.
Justin Webb
Executive Chairman and co-founder, AgriWebb

Biotech start-up aims to lift soil organic carbon and boost farm productivity

Even small increases in organic carbon levels in soil can reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and increase agricultural productivity.
Guy Hudson
Loam Bio

Tenacious Ventures fund seeds clean energy ag tech potential

Australian agriculture is a major exporter of food and fibre, feeding more than 60 million people per year. Australian farmers reduced the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of agriculture by 63 per cent between 1996 and 2016. But more needs to be done to develop and export agricultural technology that improves the efficiency of production on a global scale.
Matthew Pryor
Tenacious Ventures