James Cook University Australia

ESG on Farm: Are you ready?

The TNQ Hub is developing educational materials to help support Australian producers, farmers and land managers understand the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework and Natural Capital and integrate an analysis into their farming business, aiming to enhance sustainability performance and facilitate a transition to a more sustainable food production system.

What is ESG?

ESG is a framework that can help producers to address sustainability issues, enhance sustainability performance, increase resilience, reduce risks and create opportunities. ESG stands for:

Why ESG?

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is no longer a niche concept. ESG standards are now essential for promoting sustainability in agriculture and creating long-term value in agricultural production.

An ESG assessment offers valuable insights into on-farm risks and opportunities, enabling farmers to become leaders in sustainable practices and distinguish themselves as champions of sustainability.

What is ESG?

What is an ESG Analysis?

What is Natural Capital?

Natural capital is the value of natural assets, including soil, air, water, and living organisms, that provide the vital services necessary for human survival and economic activity.

Why Natural Capital?

Over time, nature has been degraded by exploitation, resource extraction, pollution, land conversion and climate change. There is growing recognition of the value of nature and its fundamental relationship with the economy. By recognising nature as an asset, we can better account for its contribution to economic activity, support new opportunities for growth and job creation, and protect the ecosystem services that underpin our economies and long-term sustainability.

Integrated ESG and Natural Capital Rapid Assessment

Understand what matters to your farm. Prioritise your sustainability risks and opportunities. Turn information into action.

Australian farming businesses depend on healthy soils, water, vegetation and biodiversity, while also managing environmental impacts, changing climate conditions, workforce responsibilities and business risks.

The Integrated ESG and Natural Capital Rapid Assessment has been developed to help producers bring these considerations together in a practical way. Rather than treating sustainability as a reporting exercise, the framework helps you understand how sustainability issues affect your farming business, how your activities affect the environment and society, and how your business depends on natural capital.

Using a simple five-step process, you can:

  • understand your farm context;
  • assess Environmental, Social, Governance and Natural Capital issues;
  • identify and prioritise the issues that matter most;
  • establish a baseline using relevant indicators; and
  • develop practical actions for continuous improvement.

Start with the Practical Guide to understand the process and see how it can be applied on farm.

Download the Integrated ESG and Natural Capital Assessment – Practical Guide

Ready to assess your farm?

The Rapid Assessment is an automated decision-support tool that helps identify and prioritise the ESG and Natural Capital issues most relevant to your farming business.

Choose your industry:

Rapid Assessment for Sugar Cane growers

Download Instructions
Download Sugar Cane ESG Rapid Toolkit
Download Materiality Assessment

Rapid Assessment for Beef producers

Download Instructions
Download Beef Rapid Toolkit
Download Materiality Assessment

"ESG on Farm: Are you Ready?" A workbook for farmers​

We have also created a comprehensive workbook to help you learn about ESG and guide you through developing your own detailed ESG analysis.

The “ESG on Farm: Are you Ready?” workbook provides a practical guide to support farmers/primary producers develop their own ESG analysis.

  • Section 1 of the workbook: About ESG and the ESG framework
  • Section 2 of the workbook: How to do an ESG analysis using the framework

This framework will help you establish a sustainability baseline, measure ESG factors, create an ESG strategy and report on sustainability-related risks and opportunities. It also links to the wider international environmental and social goals under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Download the ESG on Farm Workbook

Disclaimer: All the content was built upon existing international and national guidelines, frameworks, and recommendations (e.g., the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Australian Agricultural Sustainability Framework (AASF). Our effort consisted of adapting those guidelines to make them more “on farm” and easier to be applied by primary producers in Australia.

ESG Toolkit for Sugar Cane Growers

ESG Priority Survey

Help ensure ESG activities reflect real grower priorities and support practical actions that strengthen performance, resilience and access to emerging markets.

A new ESG materiality assessment is underway to update and expand our understanding of the key sustainability issues shaping sugarcane production in Queensland. 

The 2023 to 2024 assessment in the Burdekin and Mackay regions showed environmental issues were the top concern. These insights will guide the future of the hub’s ESG work for Queensland’s sugarcane industry.

Complete the short Survey

"ESG on Farm: Are you Ready?" A workbook for farmers

We have also created a comprehensive workbook to help you learn about ESG and guide you through developing your own detailed ESG analysis.

The “ESG on Farm: Are you Ready?” workbook provides a practical guide to support farmers/primary producers develop their own ESG analysis.

  • Section 1 of the workbook: About ESG and the ESG framework
  • Section 2 of the workbook: How to do an ESG analysis using the framework

This framework will help you establish a sustainability baseline, measure ESG factors, create an ESG strategy and report on sustainability-related risks and opportunities. It also links to the wider international environmental and social goals under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Download the ESG on Farm Workbook

Use our ESG on-farm Rapid Assessment tool to take the lead in sustainable farming, enhance your performance, and differentiate yourself in the agricultural market.

What is the ESG on-farm Rapid Assessment?

We have developed a user-friendly tool specifically for farmers. To complete your ESG assessment, simply fill out an online survey and provide key information about your production, such as nitrogen application, yield, and herbicide/pesticide use.

Based on your input, we will provide you with:

  • A personalized dashboard displaying your ESG sustainability baseline.
  • A comprehensive report outlining the sustainability context, ESG impacts, and materiality assessment.

Who should use the ESG On-Farm Rapid Assessment?

The ESG On-Farm Rapid Assessment is a tool designed to help small farmers quickly adopt ESG standards and enhance their sustainable farming practices.

Ready to Get Started?

Take our assessment and give your first step towards a more sustainable future today!

Contact

If you have any questions about ESG or would like help completing your ESG Assessment, please complete the form below or contact TNQ Drought Hub Senior Research Officer and sustainability advocate, Ana Leite De Almeida directly – ana.leitedealmeida@jcu.edu.au or 0402 693 448.

ESG Research

ESG in Action

From Research to Results at the Northern Beef Research Update Conference

From Research to Results at the Northern Beef Research Update Conference Key takeaways The conference reinforced that future research priorities are being shaped by producers, with a focus on practical outcomes relevant to northern conditions, including productivity, pasture performance and climate variability. Smarter decision-making with practical tools and insights (like AgValuate, ESG metrics and BeefVantage) are helping producers make more informed decisions by combining on-farm data, sustainability insights and collaborative intelligence, supporting better productivity, market alignment and long-term business performance. The TNQ Drought Hub played an active role through presenting tools like AgValuate, sponsoring the conference, and contributing to

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March 20, 2026 No Comments

How ESG and Connectivity Are Shaping Resilient Farms

How ESG and Connectivity Are Shaping Resilient Farms Key takeaway ESG should support better on-farm decisions, help manage risk, and show the real value of good land stewardship, rather than becoming another reporting burden. A well-designed ESG assessment can open doors to emerging income streams, market incentives, and access to finance. Instead of only looking backwards, it can help producers plan ahead with greater certainty and confidence, especially when managing climate and market risks. Through expert input from Dr Ana Leite de Almeida and ongoing work trialling new tools, the TNQ Drought Hub is helping shift ESG from a

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January 14, 2026 No Comments

Climate Smart Agriculture with Reef Catchments Making What You Already Do Work Even Harder

Climate Smart Agriculture with Reef Catchments Making What You Already Do Work Even Harder Key takeaway Most graziers are already managing natural assets well. Measuring it properly helps you see what’s working, strengthens business decisions, and creates a baseline for future opportunities. Good land condition has value and this is increasingly recognised in emerging environmental markets, biodiversity credits, and grant programs. Simple herd efficiency improvements can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve business performance. The TNQ Drought Hub’s ESG expert Dr Ana Leite de Almeida presented a session on natural capital assement. Graziers from across the Mackay and Proserpine

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November 5, 2025 No Comments