Nuffield scholar seeks answers to climate resilience

This is one of the realisations she has made during her Westpac-sponsored scholarship which has included seven weeks in North America and sub saharan Africa looking at how red meat producers in arid and semi-arid areas can best meet the challenges of climate change.

The third-generation pastoralist from Wilpoorina Station encountered many examples where land was being farmed but also part of conservation efforts such as Ol Pejeta in Kenya.

She also wants to see pastoralists recognised for their custodianship of the land, with ecosystem service payments well-developed in the European Union, United States and Canada.

"I'm not saying we should be subsidised by the government but we need to recognise the value pastoralists have as environmental custodians and that these ecosystem services benefit the whole of society," she said.

"This should build climate resilience."

Dr Litchfield is also keen to connect with consumers and tell the great story of livestock production in these areas.

"There are still a lot of consumers whose main motivation is cost and putting something on the table but more interest in the flexitarian movement who are interested in the footprint their food leaves and are willing to pay a bit more for it," she said.

Related reading: Pastoralists seek to modernise outdated act

She also hopes the state government's review of the Pastoral Act 1989 will enable not only longer pastoral tenures but also more diversified land uses.

Like many pastoral areas, Wilpoorina - which is part of Litchfield Pastoral Company - is going through a severe drought with only eight millimetres of rainfall for the year, and 53mm last year, with the last decent rain in early 2017.

Dr Litchfield says her travel has confirmed Australian producers are at the forefront of adapting to climate change.

The Karoo area in South Africa has a similar rainfall to Far North SA but experiences fluctuations of 20 per cent year-on-year compared with about 80pc fluctuation seen in pastoral SA.

"From what I have seen, I believe we should be proud as pastoralists how we do manage climate variability and how successful my family has been staying here for so long and farming in one of the hardest places to farm in the world," she said.

"Agriculture is a hard industry everywhere in the world but it is also an extremely important one."

Running livestock breeds adapted to their environment could be a big win for producers tackling climate change, Nuffield scholar Ellen Litchfield says.

In British Colombia in Canada she visited a Hudson's Hope beef producer, Venator Ranches, who had created a "niche market" for bison.

They were also running Angus cattle, but the bison were able to be left outside during winter months in freezing temperatures, reducing supplementary feeding.

Dr Litchfield, also a veterinarian, says genetics have a major role to play in dealing with climate variability, with heat tolerance and the ability to walk long distances even more important traits.

In Africa there was a trend to breeds such as Nagori which handle the conditions better, although have a lower market value.

Dr Litchfield says this is something to consider here in Australia's pastoral areas.

"Because there is a long-standing premium for Angus, most of us in SA are breeding for the same market rather than our conditions," she said.

"If we are wanting a consistent product, having a well-adapted breed may be better - round, fat black ones may not be the best option for the desert."

Litchfield Pastoral Company has organic certification, but Dr Litchfield said she would also like to see a sustainability brand developed.

"The rangelands cover a huge area and they are a unique way to produce protein but they are going to be the hardest hit by climate change, if we can get paid a bit more it will help the variability to some extent," she said.

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