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The regeneration of Australia’s food and farming systems
in
Fb
The regeneration of Australia’s food and farming systems
A tree plantation on the side of a hill.
A person in a black t-shirt smiling at the camera in front of a stack of wooden planks.
A tree plantation on the side of a hill.
A person in a black t-shirt smiling at the camera in front of a stack of wooden planks.
13 July 2023
13 July 2023

Building Regenerative Timber Relationships

CERES Fair Wood is building regenerative timber relationships.

Grant Amount: $50,000

Region: National

Delivered by: CERES Fair Wood

Year funded: 2023

Project status: In progress

The Challenge

We’re running out of timber! As logging exits depleted native forests we are importing timber cut from native forests of South East Asia, Northern Russia and South America. We know we need to grow more timber on our farms and in plantations, but we also need to manage our native and urban forests differently.

The Innovation

Since its launch four years ago, CERES Fair Wood has ethically sourced farm forested timber for the building industry and trialed urban sawmilling in Melbourne.

Two prospective streams of timber are under development by the CERES Fair Wood.

  • In Nhulunbuy (NT), Cape York (QLD), Aurukun (QLD), Daylesford (VIC) and  Yarram (VIC) Indigenous communities are establishing eco-forestry and salvage sawmilling operations to manage land and create employment.
  • Meanwhile, in cities, there is a growing appreciation of urban forestry's potential as a timber source.

Sustainable Table is funding CERES Fair Wood to build lasting and fair business relationships in these emerging forestry sectors to enable the further development of products, reliable supply chain logistics and markets to sell into.

Why did Sustainable Table fund this project?

We must rethink timber sourcing to contribute to land and community regeneration. Agro-forestry practices on farms offer numerous benefits including biodiversity enhancement, carbon sequestration, and increased productivity. However, establishing robust market channels is essential. This project aims to bridge these gaps, starting with strong partnerships with Indigenous-owned enterprises to prioritise Indigenous interests and develop sustainable timber supply chains.

Years in the making, this initiative, led by the passionate team at CERES, has garnered support from State governments and private industry. Now, it's ready for implementation.

Please consider donating today to help us support more projects like this and regenerate Australian food and farming.