The ABC Country Hour has highlighted the uptake of regenerative agricultural practices as farm businesses respond to consumers asking more about the story behind their food.
Regenerative farming aims to balance modern science technology with age-old stewardship techniques to boost the sustainability and productivity of the land.
Its adoption has largely occurred on the industry's fringes, but WA businesses are vying to expand it to mainstream markets and menus.
WA accounts for 40 per cent of Australia's total grain exports however, some markets are under threat from overseas competition.
Trevor Badger who is on the Board of CBH is supportive. “There’s no future in just growing bulk-standard grain that's just average," Mr Badger said.
With an emerging middle-class, Mr Badger said higher-value Asian export markets would soon demand traceability and reduced chemical use in exchange for a premium price.
"Organic food could never feed the world, but there's massive demand and growth that leaves a piece in the middle, between organics and full-industrial agriculture, that we could fill."
This story was published by the ABC Country Hour on 1 September 2019, read more here www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-09-01/regenerative-agriculture-embraced-by-wa-famers-as-market-grows/11446584