“Imagine if you could take billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year, safely, effectively, economically and immediately,” says carbon-gathering cattle-rancher Tony Lovell. “Imagine if you could do it in a way that also increases biodiversity, boosts food security, reverses the advance of the desert and improves rural communities.”

Australia has many advantages for low-cost, grass-fed beef production: disease-free herds, year-round grazing, reliable infrastructure, large properties, competitive land prices and good access to markets. It is well-positioned to serve the rapid growth in demand for red meat from China and other fast-growing Asian economies.

With the right management, raising cattle on pastures offers the lowest-cost method of beef production. These systems make the most of what nature provides for free – sunlight, rainfall, soils and the photosynthetic power of plants – rather than relying on purchased grains. There is a growing scientific evidence of the health benefits of grass-fed meat, which is leading to increased consumer demand.

The SLM Australia Livestock Fund acquires properties and implements a management process known as ‘holistic planned grazing’. This involves dividing land into smaller paddocks, putting cattle in large herds, and moving them frequently across the property. It provides a decision-making framework that allows managers to vary the size of herds and the frequency of herd movements according to seasonal conditions. The land benefits from concentrated animal impact, and then long periods of rest, which mimics the behaviour of grazing animals in natural grassland ecosystems.

In Mark Stevenson’s ‘We Do Things Differently‘ Lovell took the author to a string of farms that are redefining the way SLM Australia Livestock Fund think about agriculture. ► Download the whole chapter for free.