How Farm Forestry Can Benefit Farmers & Support Timber Shortages

Our Role Establishing Skills Insight JSC

Skills Impact held a Skills Service Organisation (SSO) role between 2016 and 2022. In 2023 we established one of ten Job and Skills Councils (JSCs), after a submission to move into the role was backed by over 200 letters of support from a broad range of industry stakeholders. This new JSC, Skills Insight, has a broader scope to deliver outcomes that support a responsive VET system and a skilled and resilient national workforce. The industry coverage of Skills Insight is similar to our past coverage as a Skills Service Organisation.

Research by Forest and Wood Products Australia reveals how farm forestry can yield significant productivity and financial benefits for landowners as well as increase property values.

Lifting farmgate profitability through high value modular agroforestry highlights exciting opportunities for Australian farmers adding timber production trees to their farms. The sites studied showed major benefits including improved cashflow using tree rotations, increased shelter for stock, biodiversity improvements and land restoration benefits. At one location tree planting helped increase pasture productivity by 30 per cent.

The study is being promoted by the National Farmers’ Federation and the Australian Forest Products Association. It was led by the CSIRO’s Dr Daniel Mendham.

New opportunities for farm forestry are being driven by increased demand for wood products. Changes to public native forest access and new carbon credit initiatives are also improving the economic environment for landholders to establish plantations and sustainably manage native forests for wood production.

National Strategy Under Development

Work is underway to develop Australia’s National Farm Forestry Strategy to help build Australia’s future wood resource. If you are a farmer, forest grower, timber processor, investor, member of the forest industry, or belong to a natural resource management body, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment want to hear from you!

Have your say!

This is your opportunity to tell the government what you think should be included in the strategy to support a strong, sustainable, and profitable farm forestry industry.

We encourage you to complete their survey, which is open until 5pm (AEST) 17 December 2021.

Your feedback will help to:

Identify how the Department can support farmers and landholders to integrate farm forestry with agriculture to diversify on-farm income and improve productivity.
Increase the potential for farm forestry to address natural resource management and biodiversity issues.
Understand risks and opportunities for farm forestry in a changing climate.

Our Role Establishing Skills Insight JSC

Visit the Skills Insight website

How Farm Forestry Can Benefit Farmers & Support Timber Shortages

National Strategy Under Development

Have your say!

Skills Impact Ltd is a not-for-profit organisation with a charitable purpose of Advancing Education. Skills Impact acknowledges the previous support of the Commonwealth which assisted in establishing this website.