Australian Data: Guiding the Wild West of Agritech
Article by Sam Duncan
The sun is blazing down on a picturesque Montana valley, where elk amble through mountains, and rattlesnakes sunbake outside their dens. But amidst this Western scene, the cowboys aren’t your dusty, Stetson-wearing outlaws. These wranglers deal in a different kind of treasure – soil carbon and data streams. Data, the new black gold of the green revolution.
I recently ventured to a Montana ranch where they work hand-in-hand with nature, using fancy grazing methods to restore the land to its rightful glory. Our little Aussie outfit FarmLab plays a small but mighty role: bringing our soil carbon measurement expertise from Down Under. You see, when farmers use new practices to improve ecosystems, measurements let them know if those practices are hitting the target.
Now, in places like the US, there are a variety of measurement standards to choose from, some are science based and accurate, and some...not so science based. That’s where Australia enters the picture. Since 2012, we’ve had strict rules for gauging soil carbon, giving us the reputation of the ‘gold standard’ of carbon measurement. Think NATO bullets for rifles – everyone using the same system means we can lend a hand, data-wise, when times get tough. Ranchers in the US are increasingly turning to us for guidance and use of this gold standard.
But standards aren’t just for soil and ammo. Across agriculture, they’re the oil that keeps the gears turning. From buying and selling crops to fixing tractors to reporting to the government, common rules make every farmer speak the same language. But when it comes to the technology side, platforms collecting info on cows and corn, we’re still in the wild west. Imagine doctors using different standards for blood tests – same data, different recommendations, leading to the under or over prescription of medication.
That’s where the carbon market comes in. To trade a financial and creditable product, the market needs standardised data, the currency of carbon credits. If your data’s dodgy, the credits dry up (or you get put on trial by scientists and concerned citizens!). This is where Australia comes in, with a standard that’s had over 10 years of development. Don’t take my word for it, just look at the price of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU) verus a voluntary carbon credit like Verra, the ACCUs are trading for about $37, while the Verra credits are around seven dollars. If it’s not obvious to you yet, the world’s looking to us to guide the way.
But why stop at carbon? As an agricultural net exporter, with a strong economy and in the top fifteen most transparent countries in the world – Australia is perfectly positioned to set the standards for all kinds of agricultural datasets and technologies. Autonomous farm vehicles for example are beginning to appear on the scene, with the likes of home-grown company SwarmFarm, and John Deere beginning to follow suit. These technologies however require significant amounts of data to operate, data which ultimately comes from the farmer and other technologies. From paddock boundaries (available in various formats from GeoJSON, KML, SHP file) to spreading files (in TIFF, PNG just to name a few), the technological revolution in agriculture is going to be fuelled by data, and standards.
So, next time you picture an Aussie farmer, see them as data wranglers, environmental guardians, and pioneers of a new kind of frontier – one where technology and sustainability ride shotgun, paving the way for a future where healthy land and vibrant markets go hand in hand.
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