Building Strong, Climate-Smart Connections
LOCATION
Corangamite CMA region
ACHIEVEMENTS
- Supported climate-smart sustainable
agriculture practices - Fostered knowledge-sharing
- Shared current research
- Built connections between farmers,
landholders, community groups,
Landcare, agencies, and agriculture
industries
INVESTMENT
Australian Government, Natural Heritage Trust (DAFF) 2020/2025 $126,660
Five year project total $734,740
PARTNERS
- WestVic Dairy
- Agriculture Victoria
- Landcare groups and networks
- Southern Farming Systems
- Otway Agroforestry Network
- Landcare Victoria Incorporated
To foster knowledge-sharing about climate-smart sustainable agriculture practices and stronger connections between farmers, landholders, industry and community groups, Corangamite CMA’s Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator hosts regular Communities of Practice meetings.
The Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator (SAF) is a designated central contact point for farmers, landholders, industry, and community groups that supports climate-smart sustainable agriculture practices in the Corangamite CMA region.
The scope of the SAF role is to:
1. Engage and inform farmers, landholders, community groups, and agriculture industries within their NRM region about climate-smart, sustainable agriculture practises.
2. Facilitate partnerships and connections that will assist farmers, landholders, community groups and agricultural industries to work together.
3. Support the delivery of sustainable agriculture projects in the region.
Bringing together such diverse stakeholders across the catchment in a meaningful way can be a challenging task, needing not only great relationship building skills but an approach that empowers all parties and provides on-ground benefits. To bring the knowledge-sharing approach to life, Corangamite CMA’s Sustainable Agriculture facilitator Karen O’Keefe regularly hosts Communities of Practice (CoP) meetings.
A CoP is a group of people who share a common concern, similar challenges, or an interest in a topic who come together to fulfill both individual and group goals. Communities of Practice often focus on sharing best practices, connecting like-minded people, and creating new knowledge to advance professional practice. Interaction on an ongoing basis is an important part of this.
The CoPs facilitated by the Corangamite CMA SAF have included:
– Dung Beetles in southeast Australia CoP
– Southwest Dairy Natural Resource Management (NRM) CoP
– Regenerative Agriculture in Corangamite CoP
– Corangamite Rural Women’s Network CoP
– Carbon Farming Outreach Program in Southwest Victoria CoP.
The CoP model is fostering networks of people including agricultural industry groups, community and Landcare groups, Government agencies, farmers, agricultural businesses, researchers and students to share information about climate smart farming ideas, learn about current research, share information about projects, and to discuss collaboration opportunities, both within and beyond the Corangamite CMA region.
