In September 2022, Farmers for Climate Action’s Climate-Smart Farming Scholarship was offered to 20 leading farmers drawn from across Australia and across a wide range of industries. These farmers are already influential in their sector and had a base-level understanding of climate-smart agricultural practices.
In offering the Scholarship, Farmers for Climate Action sought to ensure these farmers reach their full potential and become leaders in Australian agriculture.
It was delivered by a range of experts who are leaders in their field, including at the University of Melbourne and at the Australian National University. Farmers were also be supported to learn from one another.
The 10-month program is designed to allow 20 farmers to learn together and focus on their leadership skills and capacity building of Australian farmers with the aim of developing an informed and impactful cohort of Australian farmer advocates who can speak with authority on the benefits climate-smart agriculture offers to farmers and farming communities, in the agriculture industry and in MP offices.
Key program elements:
- Climate Leaders Network (CLN): Scholarship participants joined our CLN and engaged with other farmers taking climate leadership across Australia
- Monthly online Community Building dialogues
- Carbon neutral agriculture training + carbon audit of their farm with Melbourne University
- Climate Essentials for Ag course with Australian National University (ANU)
- 3-day Canberra retreat in March 2023, including:
- Accounting for Nature – 1 day course
- Media training
- Parliamentary delegation