Cool Soil Initiative supports farmers to build healthier soils and lower emissions

As agriculture faces growing pressure to reduce emissions while maintaining productivity, soil health has emerged as a critical lever for climate-smart farming. The Cool Soil Initiative (CSI) is administered by Charles Sturt as an independent, not-for-profit program supporting farmers to improve soil condition and reduce the carbon intensity of their operations. The program works to strengthen transparency and trust in emissions reporting and sustainable practices. CSI enables monitoring, verification, and reporting of Scope 3 emissions across global food value chains.

Headline achievements of CSI reported in December 2025 included 110 farmers participating, reporting across 36,022 hectares and 498 paddocks, contributing to a total farm footprint of 269,836 hectares across six regions. Emission intensity of CSI participants remained below CSIRO/GRDC baseline averages despite seasonal shocks. Ninety five per cent of farmers adopted multiple climate-smart practices, including increased use of legumes in rotation and strategic lime incorporation. A total of 577 soil samples were collected to support evidence-based reporting.