Agroforestry & 
 silvopastoral systems 

Timber Queensland is championing applied agroforestry R&D in Queensland as a potential new investment vehicle for wood supply and for enhanced profitability for farmers through the integration of timber, carbon and beef production. This has included leading a three-year silvopastoral trials research project in North Queensland with the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) and research partners Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA), CQ University, HQPlantations, QLD Department of Agriculture & Fisheries and CO2 Australia. This project also received financial support from the Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, through the North Queensland Regional Forestry Hub.

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Historically, investment in new plantations in Queensland, and Australia more generally, has stalled since the early 1990s due to a number of investment challenges. These challenges have included the long time period until timber harvest returns (e.g. 25 to 30 years), a previous lack of revenues from co-benefits such as carbon sequestration and the cessation of previous large scale programs such as the Softwood Forestry Agreements between the Commonwealth and the states from the 1960s to the 1980s.

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However, a number of new investment drivers are emerging that can help establish new plantations and farm forestry plantings that can deliver multiple benefits for landholders and the state. These drivers include:

• the emergence of carbon markets for forest sequestration and related natural capital (e.g. biodiversity, nature repair); and

• opportunities for better integration and uptake of planted wood production trees with agricultural activities that can lift overall productivity, profitability and sustainability outcomes (i.e. agroforestry).

 

A key challenge for the timber and agricultural industries is the need for more applied R&D, education and extension on these opportunities that can translate into greater adoption.

 

What is a Silvopastoral System?

Silvopastoral systems combine natural forests or planted trees with pasture and livestock on the same land management unit to achieve higher productivity and/or profitability. They are not homogenous systems given there are a multiude of ways to integrate forestry and livestock production.

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There are environmental and financial benefits of implementing silvopastoral systems. Environmental benefits can include: aesthetics, water quality improvement, soil conservation, carbon sequesteration and wildlife habitat.  Financial benefits can include: farm income diversification, increasing the resilience of a farm to the impact of climate change and complementing longer term timber harvest income with early annual cash flows from livestock and carbon to generate higher overall returns.

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Fact sheets summarising the aims, key findings and outcomes from the three year silvopsatoral trials of commercial pine systems in North Queensland can be found below:

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Project Fact Sheet 1 -  Silvopastoral Trials of commercial pine systems in North Queensland

Download (PDF)

 

Project Fact Sheet 2 -  Silvopastoral Trials of commercial pine systems in North Queensland: Final results

Download (PDF)

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Related silvopastoral resources and projects

• How can we grow the plantation estate and improve private native forest management in Australia? Silvopastoral systems provide a solution. T. Lewis, N. Pachas & T. J. Venn (2022)
   

• Case Studies of the Financial Performance of Silvopastoral Systems in Southern Queensland, Australia. Ben Francis, Tyron Venn, Tom Lewis and Jeremy Brawner.
  This report demonstrates that investing in Private Native Forest silviculture is financially beneficial for farmers and more valuable than clearing land for grazing, if it is possible to remove sovereign risk (i.e. uncertainty over future Vegetation Management Act changes) taking into account the benefits from combined timber and livestock production.
   

• Farm Forestry: Growing Together Plan
  The Australian Government’s Farm Forestry: Growing Together Plan recognises the new opportunities and provides practical information and resources for farmers looking to invest in farm forestry.
   

• Presentation: Silvopastoral Opportunities
  Timber Queensland CEO, Mick Stephens, shared this presentation at the Northern Australia Food Futures Conference 2023, outlining benefits for graziers and growers alike.