INSIGHTS

SHANE BODIAM ON LAND TRANSITION: the perennial path to resilience and profit

January 28, 2025

Shane Bodiam, Chief Operating Officer

In a role like Chief Operating Officer, the holy grail is a job where you have strong alignment of values and plenty of opportunities to bring your skills to life. I’ve found it at Impact Ag Australia – where regenerative agriculture and investment returns come together.

I’ve been on a long journey with regenerative principles, going back to 1998 when I trained with Neal Kinsey, an American soil fertility pioneer. And since then, I’ve scooped up countless handfuls of dirt to check for that earthy smell that signals living soil: the foundation of every farm.

That smell has always been a reminder of why this work matters. Farming is farming, but when it’s done with an eye toward natural capital, it becomes so much more: more resilient, more productive, and more profitable.

CORPORATE AND INVESTOR COMMITMENT TO CHANGE

With a background in investment management, I understand the tension between prioritising short-term profits versus the practices that deliver more significant benefits, but over a longer timeframe.

What drew me to Impact Ag Australia is the commitment it has from visionary investors to make change happen. Investors who align with our mission, and trust us to strike the balance: ensuring farms perform at their highest potential today, while also investing in long-term resilience and diversified profit streams for tomorrow.

DRIVING BOLD LAND TRANSITIONS

Livestock is a pretty straightforward regenerative equation, and many operators do it really well. Where Impact Ag Australia stands out is its in-house expertise that enables bolder land transitions, such as moving from annual crops to permanent tree crops.

Shifting into permanent systems, like macadamias or pecans, allows for consistent groundcover, which protects soil, reduces erosion, and enhances biodiversity. Our approach enables the integration of livestock with tree crops, too, amplifying ecosystem benefits like nutrient cycling while delivering a return stack that’s robust, nature-positive, and future-focused.

Land transition isn’t straightforward, and Impact Ag Australia has invested deeply in the horsepower it needs to accelerate a new type of agriculture. The team has spent over a decade navigating the trial and error of land transition across varied geographies, soil types, and production systems. The result is a tried and tested approach to planning and investment grounded in a deep understanding of each property’s specific characteristics and opportunities.

EMPOWERING CHANGE

Having just toured the New England properties with our farm operations team, I’m struck by the company’s acute focus on the ground. There’s no ‘Head Office’ vibe; no disconnect between the executive and the team doing the work on-farm everyday. Everyone is aligned on the ‘why,’ and they’re all empowered to push the boundaries of what’s possible; to take bold decisions that drive greater impact.

JOIN THE IMPACT AG AUSTRALIA JOURNEY

I’m excited to work alongside Hugh Killen and the team to accelerate agriculture that is not just better for the environment, but scalable, profitable, and essential for a resilient future.

Follow Impact Ag Australia on LinkedIn for updates and insights, and subscribe to our newsletter to join us, as we accelerate agriculture – from the ground up.

FUTURE THINKING

PART THREE: REFRAMING REGENERATION SERIES – From narrative to performance: The role of disciplined capital

A new class of investors is recognising that the natural systems underpinning food and fibre production can no longer be taken for granted. They’re fundamental economic infrastructure. And, as with any critical infrastructure, degradation creates risk, while restoration drives value. In Part One of our new series, Reframing Regeneration, Impact Ag Australia’s Head of Portfolio & Investment Management, Bindi Turner, unpacks why sophisticated capital is moving decisively toward ecosystem regeneration – and what this shift means for the future of agricultural investment.

PART TWO: REFRAMING REGENERATION SERIES – Productivity reimagined: The investment logic of regenerative systems

PART ONE: REFRAMING REGENERATION SERIES – From narrative to investable infrastructure

A new class of investors is recognising that the natural systems underpinning food and fibre production can no longer be taken for granted. They’re fundamental economic infrastructure. And, as with any critical infrastructure, degradation creates risk, while restoration drives value. In Part One of our new series, Reframing Regeneration, Impact Ag Australia’s Head of Portfolio & Investment Management,Bindi Turner, unpacks why sophisticated capital is moving decisively toward ecosystem regeneration – and what this shift means for the future of agricultural investment.

PERENNIALS, PATIENCE, AND PROOF: UNPACKING THE REGEN TRANSITION AT GILGAL

Environmental plantings are no longer just about carbon offsets. When integrated into farm systems, they can stack returns: carbon, biodiversity, productivity, and resilience. Here, Hugh Killen explains how the right design can turn ecological restoration into return.

REIMAGINING ENVIRONMENTAL PLANTINGS – FOR CARBON, BIODIVERSITY, AND FARM PRODUCITIVITY

What if a carbon project could do more than store carbon? What if it could restore endangered habitat? Rehydrate the landscape? Build soil health? Strengthen farms against drought? And drive better productivity and profitability?

HUGH KILLEN ON: CAN ON-FARM ENVIRONMENTAL PLANTINGS RETURN A PRODUCTIVITY DIVIDEND? YES, IF…