FAQ

General

• What is the Australian Holistic Management Co-Operative?

  The Co-op grew out of the 2016 Dubbo Holistic Management Conference held by Hooves 4 Humus and the Australian Holistic Management Educators Group. In 2017, Farming Together awarded a grant to establish the Co-operative, which was formally registered by ASIC as NSWC32856 in September 2018. Here are the Rules of the Co-operative and the latest Annual Report.

• What does the Co-op do?

  The Co-operative seeks to enable thriving lives and landscapes through Holistic Management, a decision-making framework for balancing the ecological, financial, and social needs of any complex system. It provides services for the ecological monitoring and regeneration of agricultural land, and promotes produce from land where ecological monitoring and regenerative agriculture is taking place. The Co-op offers members support, training, events and mentoring. It aims to be as inclusive as possible, so anyone with the common objective of regenerating agricultural land is welcome to join.

• How is the Co-op connected to the Savory Institute?

  The Co-op is a Hub of the Savory Institute, whose mission is the large-scale regeneration of the world's degraded grasslands through Holistic Management. The Co-op's Savory-accredited monitors provide Ecological Outcome Verification services, which measure the health over time of soil, biodiversity and ecosystems. If EOV monitoring verifies improvements in land health, the property-owners may apply for Savory's Land to Market branding (see more below).

Ecological Outcome Verification

• What is the science behind EOV?

  EOV works on two time scales. Annually, an EOV monitor comes out and measures above-ground indicators like bare ground and biodiversity. Every five years, plant diversity metrics, water infiltration, and soil data are collected. Soil samples are sent to the lab for measurements such as soil carbon and water-holding capacity — see more on EOV measurements. EOV was designed to be farmer-first, adaptable across eco-regions, and provide actionable insights about land health trends.

• If I opt-in to EOV - what happens?

  • Contact us to find out more about EOV monitoring on your property. (While anyone can apply for EOV monitoring, Co-op members also receive the support of experienced mentors, trouble-shooting webinars, and educational and event resources.)
  • Annual measurements takes place on your land with an accredited monitor or verifier, who organises long-term and short-term monitoring sites, measures indicators and collects samples for lab testing.
  • In Year 0 and Year 5, both long-term and short-term data is collected. In years 1 to 4 only short-term monitoring occurs. See here for indicative fees for the EOV service.
  • EOV reports indicate whether land is improving or not for each monitored site. If the land is verified to be improving you obtain Ecological Outcome Verification. With Verification you can then apply to obtain Land to Market branding for your products.
  
  

Land to Market

• What is Land to Market?

  If EOV data indicates land is regenerating, then products derived from that landbase may apply to carry the Savory Land to Market seal. Land to Market (L2M) offers branding for your value-added products to be sold directly to customers and/or into supply chains.

• What is Land to Market trying to achieve?

  Land to Market works with brands around the world to connect them with raw materials that come from verified regenerating landbases. By creating market demand and product differentiation, Land to Market eases the transition for producers looking to make the leap into regenerative agriculture. The Land to Market Verified seal gives consumers confidence that products have come from land with ecologically verified improving health which is backed by scientific data.

• What is the difference between EOV and Land to Market?

  EOV monitoring is the annual process of measuring short and long-term indicators of the ecological health of farmland. If health is measured to be improving, EOV verification is granted (or renewed). With EOV verification, the landbase then becomes eligible to apply for Land to Market branding.