Apple turns to Australian macadamia orchards in carbon-credit push
ABC News Australia reports that global investment firms, backed by Apple among others, are pouring millions into Australian macadamia orchards. The aim is to secure carbon credits via "natural capital assets." The line between farming and tech finance is increasingly blurred.
Global investment firms backed in part by Apple are pouring millions of dollars into Australian macadamia orchards. According to ABC News Australia, the main rationale is to secure "natural capital assets" through planting and soil management, and to lock in carbon credits aligned with corporate net-zero pledges.
Macadamia farming attracts attention thanks both to export revenues and the long carbon-storage horizon of mature trees. Australian growers say long-term contracts with global technology companies are smoothing their cash flow. Some specialists, however, warn that the financialisation of farmland may have unintended impacts on local communities and land use patterns.
The Australian government is reviewing transparency standards in the carbon-credit market. New guidance from local regulators is expected over the coming months. For investors, Australia continues to emerge as one of the leading hubs of the global nature-based solutions economy, alongside Brazil and Indonesia.
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