We have increased adoption.
THE TARGET | SMARTCANE BMP ACCREDITATION:
The Reef 2050 plan outlines an ambitious reduction in nitrogen and sediment run-off into the Reef. By completing the Smartcane Best Management Practice Program (BMP), cane growers are able to demonstrate their farm management is sustainable and environmentally sound.
Accreditation in BMP is good for growers and it’s good for the Great Barrier Reef.
Since Cane Changer commenced in 2016, we have seen accreditation rates in BMP increase across the Wet Tropics region by 316%. This rate of change is attributable to a range of projects and industry activities throughout the Wet Tropics, but is significantly greater than other regions where Cane Changer is not yet active.
The Wet Tropics are well on their way to helping achieve those targets and are leading the process of BMP adoption. Our continued commitment to the Queensland sugarcane industry is to help achieve these targets.
303
▸ New Benchmarked Growers
These are growers who have signed up to participate in BMP during the Cane Changer project timeline.
177
▸ New Accredited Growers
These growers have become fully accredited in Smartcane BMP, which ensures grower productivity and provides evidence that growers are farming in way that promotes better water quality entering the Great Barrier Reef.
2
▸ Ministers Committed
In July 2017, Minister for the Great Barrier Reef Steven Miles joined more than 100 cane growers who pledged to protect the Great Barrier Reef by signing up to a Palaszczuk Government program that improves the long-term sustainability of farms and the environment. Read more here.
Queensland’s current Minister for the Great Barrier Reef Leeanne Enoch also signed her commitment in January 2018, when she met with farmers in Innisfail to see firsthand the industry-led innovations helping to protect the reef while strengthening the state’s agricultural industry. Read more here.
1600+
▸ Sustainable Practices Reported
250
▸ Growers Committed
32,000+
▸ Hectares of land under cane
By signing their own commitment, growers have set the record straight about their industry. Growers who have signed a Cane Changer Commitment report all of their past efforts to farm sustainably, and sign to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to change.
We have delivered.
10
▸ Behaviour Change Tools
4
▸ Behaviour Change strategies
Cane Changer strategies are the materialisation of ideas from the industry and by the industry. Every initiative is designed and implemented in partnership with local partners.
9
▸ Target Districts
The Project is currently active across 9 cane growing districts in the state of Queensland: Mossman, Tablelands, Cairns, Innisfail, Tully, Herbert River, Burdekin, Proserpine & Mackay.
263+
▸ Workshops + Activities
11+
▸ Industry partners
Our industry partners are key to our design and implementation process. To find out more about our partners, click on the button below.
133+
▸ Presentations
We have Engaged.
815 + Hours
OF GROWER CONTACT
69 +
FIELD TRIPS
218 + Days
SPENT IN THE FIELD
57 +
FARM VISITS
200 +
POSITIVE STORIES TOLD
Print | Radio | Social
We have Evidence.
Click to View Publication
Applying behavioural science to the Queensland sugar cane industry and its relationship to the Great Barrier Reef
JA Pickering, J Hong, D Hong & M Kealley
The decline of the health of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has motivated efforts to modify the farming practices of landholders connected to the Reef—especially cane growers. Despite knowledge of the importance of human behaviour in protecting the GBR, a focus on the science of how to change human behaviour has not featured prominently in discussions about water quality. This paper outlines the empirical basis for an evidence-based behaviour change program targeting Queensland’s population of sugar cane growers. The paper reviews the evidence of behaviour change in the context of the sugar cane industry and outlines the key considerations in designing a program of change at scale. It is concluded that a population-level approach to behavioural change is a potentially pivotal means for accelerating the adoption of new farming practices across the sugar cane industry.
Click to View Publication
Using psychology to understand practice change among sugar growers
JA Pickering, J Hong, R Stower, D Hong & M Kealley
Nitrogen and pesticide runoff from sugarcane farms have been identified as important modifiable factors to improve water quality of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The long-term protection of the GBR is therefore linked to the behaviours of sugarcane growers across Queensland. The current study surveyed the attitudes and practices of 48 cane growers in Queensland, focusing on psychological characteristics associated with adoption of farming best management practices (BMP) and innovation. Intrinsic motivation, social identity, self-efficacy, recognition and information value were all found to be associated with BMP accreditation and innovation. These findings highlight the potential importance of behavioural science in the design and implementation of projects aimed at improving farming practices. Future interventions should focus on aligning themselves with growers’ internal values, improving growers’ knowledge about projects, and increasing social connections. Doing so may increase cane grower’s willingness and ability to adopt new farming practices, which could in turn lead to improved water quality.
Mentions
From the Behavioural Scientist to the World Economic Forum, the efforts of Queensland sugarcane farmers in protecting the Great Barrier Reef is being recognised across the globe.
