Partnering on soil education and skills to safeguard food security in Australia
Announcement posted by soil-science-australia 29 Apr 2024
Protecting the health and long-term resilience of Australian soils—the foundation of agricultural production—becomes more important each day with the increasing risk of climate change on our future food security.
FarmLab and Soil Science Australia have entered into a partnership on strategic soil health education and skills development, to equip a nation-wide network of soil management professionals.
The partnership will support recognised skills development pathways—from entry-level field operators to certified soil scientists—by combining respective training materials on practical and theoretical aspects of soil science, together with technology and processes that support high-quality data generation.
"Our relationship with FarmLab opens up broader possibilities for sharing the message about the value of managing soil as a critical resource in Australia, and expands the reach and availability of our skills training and professional accreditation to a wider constituency," said Michael Walker, CEO of Soil Science Australia.
The FarmLab platform provides the digital infrastructure to collect, store and analyse data related to soil and environmental management and improvement, while also collaborating with trusted soil sampling service providers to ensure consistent, reliable, and high-quality sample collection in the field.
"This collaboration aligns with the FarmLab mission to provide high-quality data to better support Australia's soil managers—from agronomists to consultants, land managers and farmers—to make informed decisions to achieve greater soil health for all," said FarmLab CEO, Sam Duncan.
The recent launch of the FarmLab online training hub to accredit FarmLab soil samplers further bolsters the partnership's strategic plan to prepare soil management professionals with the training to ensure the highest standards and protocols are upheld nationwide.
The initiative aligns with increasing focus on opportunities relating to income-generation from carbon farming, the need for enhanced soil health management and supporting carbon sequestration mechanisms.
The partnership not only supports the industry's growing interest but also addresses knowledge gaps and skills required to better manage and understand Australian soils.
FarmLab and Soil Science Australia will actively engage with government and industry stakeholders at both state and national levels to facilitate sharing of key data, learnings and resources.
Further information:
If you want to find out more about FarmLab and Soil Science Australia's partnership, contact FarmLab at info@getfarmlab.com or Soil Science Australia at projects@soilscienceaustralia.org.au.
About FarmLab
FarmLab was founded in 2016 with the goal of digitising the Earth's environment. Their data management platform empowers agronomists, consultants, and farmers to map, sample, and analyse the environment using innovative remote sensing and digital mapping techniques.
FarmLab is presently supporting two projects under the Commonwealth Government's National Soil Carbon Innovation Challenge, sampling more than 500 farms across Australia and generating more than 15,000 soil samples and related data.
Visit: www.getfarmlab.com
About Soil Science Australia
Soil Science Australia is a not-for-profit, professional association for soil scientists and people interested in the responsible management of Australia's soil resources. Soil Science Australia supports soil scientists and promotes the importance of soil as a finite resource.
Visit: www.soilscienceaustralia.org.au
Contact:
FarmLab Pty Ltd
Peter Rasmussen
0467 353 539
peter@getfarmlab.com
Soil Science Australia
Alex Bagnara
0431 601 074
commsmanager@soilscienceaustralia.org.au