STRONGER requirements on croppers to demonstrate environmental sustainability in order to sell grain are "coming like a freight train", and the whole supply chain needs to be prepared.
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This is the belief of Grain Producers SA, who say markets, consumers, financiers and governments are all seeking more data on sustainability.
"We think this is something that's only going to get tighter and more scrutinised from a regulatory point of view," GPSA chief executive officer Brad Perry said.
"Our growers are already having to tick a number of boxes through ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) to get canola into Europe.
"Through conversations we've been having throughout the supply chain, it appears requirements for sustainability credentials are only going to get stronger."
This was the spur for GPSA's recent SA Grain Industry Environmental Sustainability Baseline Report, which gauged the credentials and attitudes of 120 SA growers towards sustainability.
The report found almost half of respondents believed sustainability would be critical to market access in the next five years, while more than 50 per cent wanted the SA grain sector to take the lead on sustainability.
While there are some grower concerns about the time and costs associated with sustainability auditing and certification, Mr Perry said it was more than likely going to become a requirement of doing business.
"It's our markets dictating what they want from us and while we have some negotiating power, effectively they can say yes or no as to whether they take our grain," Mr Perry said.
GPSA don't believe wide scale practice changes will be needed to meet tightening sustainaibility requirements, with Mr Perry saying most growers are generally already doing the right things.
"Our growers also understand the importance of market access and being early adopters so we think there's potentially an advantage for SA to take a lead on this," he said.
Pinery graingrower Kelvin Tiller said sustainability was a broad topic, with his enterprise putting economic and agronomic sustainability first, but trying to balance it as much as possible with environmental sustainability.
He said modern day agronomic practices and the way they were heading were generally supporting environmentally sustainability, and the industry had come a long way since the days of "burn, bash and bury".
"If you want to remain economically and agronomically sustainable, you're naturally going to be pulling environmental sustainability along with it," Mr Tiller said.
The Tillers grow a wheat-lentil rotation, running a disc seeder and stripper front, which gives them good stubble retention, which in turn results in good moisture retention and the alleviation of soil erosion.
"Running a wheat-lentil rotation also minimises our use of synthetic fertilisers within reason," Mr Tiller said.
The Tillers were growing canola when ISCC certification became a requirement for canola sold into the European market.
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Mr Tiller wouldn't be surprised if that was "the tip of the iceberg" and sustainability certification became a requirement to sell cereals and pulses in future. He said it would need to be industry-led with consultation throughout the supply chain.
"That certification wasn't overly time intensive, but I didn't get audited and it was five years ago," he said.
"Someone who has been audited may have had a different experience."
Discussing the prospect of needing sustainability certification for all crop types, Mr Tiller believed it wouldn't be a huge burden if the system only required operational reporting.
