Brocklesby farmer Justin Everitt seeks safeguards over shared data

The government's $302 million climate smart package got a kick along last week when Agriculture Minister Murray Watt offered more details on how the program would work.

The farming sector is said to contribute around 13 per cent of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions each year.

And with an emissions reduction target of 43 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 - and net zero emissions by 2050 enshrined into law - the push is on for farmers to do their bit.

But Brocklesby mixed farmer Justin Everitt is reluctant about the data sharing requirement by farmers.

"There could be possibilities where there's soil data, yield data and spray data all stored in a cloud set up ... we haven't been put at ease that that data is safe and it's our data," he said.

"Farms are a business, and that data is part of our business ... I would want some safeguards around the protection of data."

High on his list of concerns is data being misused.

"If you look at some data without some context to it, you can misinterpret it," he said.

The May budget broke down how $302 million worth of climate smart money will be spent, with $40 million of that to help farmers better understand carbon and biodiversity markets.

Any improvements to soil are recorded, including DNA data collected to determine what's in it.

Cane farmer Mark Savino has been working to make his soil more productive for the past 14 years. It's been a long journey, he said, made easier through help from a government agency.

"They keep you motivated," he said.

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Mark Howden from the Australian National University, who heads up the Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, welcomes an injection of independent advice for farmers.

"We need to have confidence in the data that's being collected, both at a public level and at a private level," Professor Howden said.

John Connor from the Carbon Market Institute agreed that there needed to be safeguards around data privacy.

"I do think there needs to be serious discussion around the safeguards ... and to make sure we've got adequate resourcing for landholders ... to make sure they're well supported," Mr Connor said.

"It's in the farmers' own interests that they share this data ... because there are solid databases from which public decisions are made, including ones which assist farmers build their own resilience and productivity.

"There is a tricky balancing act here but I think technology is going to allow us to deal with many of these issues, if not all."

Andrew Ward, who heads up a farmer-owned mutual encouraging farmers to regenerate and commercialise environmental outcomes, said 12 years after the carbon market was set up producers were still anxious.

"There's general suspicion that this is just another way to fleece farmers," said Mr Ward.

"Where I'm talking data, I'm really talking about carbon, biodiversity ESG data, where it feels like even if I don't want to give it to you, I'm going to be compelled to give it to you.

"The question becomes, are you a proactive participant in the collection, analysis and sharing of your data, or are you going to have it happen to you?"

This year's review of Australia's carbon credit system led by former chief scientist Ian Chubb found the scheme needed more transparency, with improvements demanded around data sharing.

Pip Grant from the carbon sequestration start up Loam said farmers had shifted from concerns over privacy to how they can monetise the environmental improvements they have made.

"We're only using data that would benefit or improve sustainability on farm," she said.

"And by the time they're (the farmer) signing up a carbon project, they're really secure in that idea."

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