Australia’s beef producers could unlock new income and climate resilience – while helping expand the nation’s timber supply – by putting trees back into grazing landscapes.
The Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) Centre for Sustainable Futures is supporting a new national research project that will map how silvopastoral systems can be scaled across Australia to deliver economic, environmental, and supply chain benefits.
Led by Central Queensland University and project lead Professor Delwar Akbar, the project, Mapping silvopastoral supply chains in Australia: Identifying opportunities, barriers and future research, aims to bridge long-standing gaps between forestry and agriculture by identifying practical, commercially viable pathways for adoption.
Prof Akbar said the integration of trees with livestock grazing, known as silvopastoral systems, offers significant potential to enhance land productivity, sequester carbon, produce timber, and diversify income streams for beef producers.
And while silvopastoral systems have been trialled intermittently in Australia for over a century, widespread uptake has remained limited.
“While the benefits are well understood, including improved pasture productivity, carbon sequestration, enhanced biodiversity, and diversified income streams, many producers remain disconnected from supply chains, markets, and the broader value proposition of integrating trees into grazing systems,” Prof Akbar says.
“This study aims to develop a holistic silvopastoral supply chain mapping tool to analyse the current landscape, identify enabling environments, and address key challenges and threats."
Through two different case studies – one on beef and native forests and the other on beef and softwood – the project will analyse how forestry and beef production can be effectively integrated, identifying models that are both operationally feasible and commercially viable.
The mapping framework will take a holistic view of the system, examining product and market dynamics, infrastructure and resource requirements, business processes and collaboration models, and the broader regulatory, environmental, and social factors that influence adoption. By combining a review of past research with stakeholder interviews and co-designed workshops, the project aims to deliver a practical, user-informed tool grounded in real-world conditions.
Australia’s forestry sector is under increasing pressure to expand domestic wood supply while maintaining sustainability and environmental outcomes. At the same time, the agricultural sector is seeking ways to improve resilience to climate variability, enhance productivity, and diversify income. Silvopastoral systems sit at the intersection of these challenges, offering a pathway to deliver multiple benefits from the same land base.
Despite this potential, key barriers have prevented broader adoption. Supply chains for silvopastoral products remain fragmented, infrastructure is often limited or poorly aligned, and market integration is underdeveloped. Many producers lack access to clear information, proven business models, or financial mechanisms that would enable them to confidently invest in tree-based systems.
This project aims to address these challenges by identifying enabling conditions and providing a strategic roadmap for integration. By clarifying how silvopastoral outputs can connect to existing timber markets, and by outlining the infrastructure and collaboration required, the research will support more coordinated and efficient development across sectors.
Professor Mark Brown, Director of the AFWI Centre for Sustainable Futures and the Forest Research Institute based at the University of the Sunshine Coast, said this project directly aligns with AFWI’s focus on expanding Australia’s wood supply through innovative land-use systems.
“Silvopastoral systems represent a major opportunity to integrate forestry into existing agricultural landscapes, but uptake has been limited by fragmented supply chains and lack of clear pathways to market. By mapping these systems and identifying viable models, this project will help unlock new value for producers while strengthening connections between the forestry and agriculture sectors,” Prof Brown said.
AFWI is a national research and innovation institute valued up to $200m, backed by a Commonwealth Government investment of $100m.
The initiative brings together a multidisciplinary team from seven organisations, combining expertise in forestry, agriculture, supply chain logistics, and regional development. These include Central Queensland University (CQU), University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), Timber Queensland, Meat and Livestock Australia, SEQ Forestry Hub Inc., Southeast NSW Forestry Hub, and the Central Queensland Regional Beef Research Committee (CQRBRC).This collaborative approach is designed to ensure the project reflects the needs of industry and delivers outcomes that are both practical and scalable.
In the longer term, the project is expected to support Australia’s transition to more sustainable and climate-resilient rural industries. By promoting integrated land use systems and strengthening alignment between forestry and agriculture, it has the potential to generate economic, environmental, and social benefits at both regional and national levels.
The research aligns with AFWI’s Sustainable Forests for our Future theme and contributes to broader national priorities, including climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and regional economic development. By unlocking new opportunities for farmers and improving connections across supply chains, the project represents a significant step toward more productive, resilient, and integrated land use systems in Australia.
About AFWI
Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) is a national research and innovation institute valued up to $200m, backed by a Commonwealth Government investment of $100m. AFWI includes three research centres hosted by the University of the Sunshine Coast (AFWI Centre for Sustainable Futures), the University of Tasmania, and the University of Melbourne. This project is funded through the AFWI Centre for Sustainable Futures.
Project snapshot
- Project Title: Mapping silvopastoral supply chains in Australia: Identifying opportunities, barriers and future research
- Program: Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) Centre for Sustainable Futures
- Lead Organisation: Central Queensland University
- Project Lead: Professor Delwar Akbar
