More than 80 producers, innovators and industry leaders gathered in the Hunter Valley for CommBank’s inaugural Cultivate event, exploring how Australian agriculture can strengthen performance and resilience in a changing environment.
A highlight of the program was the panel Natural Capital as a Competitive Advantage, featuring Angela Hammond (Landcare Australia Programme Manager) alongside Robert “Macka” MacKenzie (Black Angus Beef), Hamish Webb (Founder, Precision Pastures), and Liam Pepper (Executive Manager, Agribusiness Sustainability, Commonwealth Bank).
The discussion brought together on-ground production and environmental experience, data and finance perspectives to explore how managing natural capital – soil, water, vegetation and biodiversity – is increasingly becoming a core driver of farm business performance. Panellists shared practical examples from grazing systems across Australia, highlighting how improving landscape function can lift productivity, reduce risk and support resilience through seasonal variability.
Angela highlighted Landcare Australia’s role working with producers, advisors and industry through programs such as Biodiversity in Action and CarbonSMART, supporting on-ground trials, measurement and decision-making to help producers understand what works best in their systems.
The session reinforced a clear message: natural capital is no longer a separate consideration — it is a competitive advantage for farm businesses navigating climate variability, evolving markets and increasing expectations from supply chains and finance.
