This article was first published in the April 2026 issue of TerraWise Insights. To get the latest updates and insights, subscribe today.

A couple of months ago, we stepped through some of the key lessons coming out of the paddock — what actually works when it comes to carbon, emissions, and integration into farm businesses.

The themes were consistent: keep the business front and centre, avoid one-size-fits-all thinking, and focus on changes that deliver over the long term.

But the question that follows is a practical one.

What does this actually look like on farm?

Because understanding the principles is one thing — building them into your systems, your records, and your decision-making is another.

This is where the focus shifts from insight to application.

STEP ONE: GET YOUR RECORDS IN ORDER

This is simple: You can start this tomorrow.

The reality is, to generate a commodity-level report without relying on assumptions, you’ll need to provide information you may not have been asked for before.

But remember – emissions is just one use for that data. Done right, it can give you much deeper insight into your business than traditional reporting.

First – move from paper to digital.

Handwritten notebooks or notes on paddock plans are difficult to convert into usable data. If you’re not ready to use software platforms, at least use clear Excel records.

Second – record actuals, not planned.

Paddock plans are important, but what matters most is what actually happened. Maybe you planted more canola. Maybe you did an unplanned spray. If those changes aren’t captured in systems like JD Operations either, then they effectively don’t exist in your commodity-level records. And this will affect your annual emissions results.

Third – follow the money.

Link to invoices and BAS statements. Connecting financials to production makes your analysis more powerful and streamlines compliance at the same time.

Last – Update records as it happens. 5 mins now saves hours later, particularly post-harvest when audits, reviews and reporting roll around.

This may all seem basic, but it’s the foundation. Get it right, and everything else becomes much easier. It also sets your advisors up to help you properly.

STEP TWO: UNDERSTAND YOUR NUMBERS

Because you can’t manage what you don’t measure.

If supply chain entities request your data or make assumptions about your numbers for their reporting requirements, how can you position yourself if you don’t understand your own numbers in the context of your business? Knowledge is power.

An emissions baseline isn’t about ‘good’ or ‘bad’. It’s simply a reference point.

It tells you where your business emissions are sitting today, and what’s driving them.

From there, you start to look at how your decisions are impacting those emissions – which commodities, inputs, or practices are contributing the most? This helps identify the key drivers and where changes will have the greatest effect.

This process is iterative. You don’t need perfect systems in place on day one. Start with the best information you have. Work with advisors to review it. Improve it. Repeat it.

Over time, trends emerge. Records improve. Insight becomes sharper and more reliable.

Just like other reporting, this occurs annually, and you’ll gain insights that grow in value year after year.

Finally, layer emissions into decision-making, alongside production and profitability. Use what you learn to guide practical management choices — not just to calculate numbers.

STEP THREE: CONSIDER STRATEGIC LAND USE OPTIONS

Once you understand your emissions, you can layer this into how your land can be used most strategically.

Start by drawing on the data you are already collecting.

Identify opportunities where environmental and business outcomes align, including potential ACCU projects on non-arable or marginal land or land management practices that provide multiple benefits. For example, VRT can hit the three: production, profit and emissions benefits.

It’s important to work through these options with the right people – your advisors, agronomists, or carbon specialists – so decisions are informed, practical and integrated.

Pay attention to those incremental improvements, the small gains that may seem minor individually but add up across the farm.

And importantly, changes should not come at the cost of production. Every decision should balance environmental outcomes with farm returns.

STEP FOUR: TRANSITION AN OBLIGATION INTO AN OPPORTUNITY

Carbon is often framed as an obligation – compliance, reporting, business risk. And yes, those pressures are increasing.

By measuring emissions and embedding systems now, the farm is positioned ahead of requirements rather than reacting later. You build credibility, maintain flexibility, and retain control of your own numbers – instead of relying on assumptions made by others.

The banking sector is moving fast. Green finance products are expanding, and verified emissions accounts, along with eligible on-farm activities, can support access to discounted finance or refinancing opportunities. Ask your bank manager about these products, and if needed, ask to be connected with team members who understand these options.

Once you understand your emissions profile, you can properly assess where an ACCU project fits – not whether you can do one, but whether it strategically strengthens your business.

When emissions data is layered with granular production and financial information, it becomes a planning tool.

The key is integration. When emissions considerations are embedded into ongoing planning, they stop being a separate reporting task. What begins as an obligation then becomes a practical business lever.