Glossary

B

Biofutures

Biofutures or industrial biotechnology involves the development and manufacturing of products from sustainable organic and/or waste products rather than fossil fuels.

Bio-manufacturing

Bio-manufacturing uses biological systems to manufacture commercial products that can be used in industrial applications, medicine, food production, etc.

C

Carbon farming

Carbon farming includes land management practices that increase carbon stored in ‘carbon sinks’ like soils and forests, or that reduce greenhouse emissions from activities like clearing, cultivation, fuel use, fire, etc.

Carbon neutral

Carbon neutral production involves reducing emissions associated with the production activities, and offsetting any remaining emissions through carbon sequestration or the purchase of offsets.

Carbon budget

A carbon budget is an amount of carbon dioxide that a country, company, or organisation has agreed is the largest it will produce in a particular period of time.

E

Enteric fermentation

Enteric fermentation is a digestive process in ruminant animals like cattle, sheep and goats. This process breaks down plant material to make it easier to absorb but also produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas, that is then burped out. This is actually the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from Queensland’s agriculture sector.

I

Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 refers to the fourth industrial revolution centred around digital technologies like cloud computing, automation, virtual and augmented reality, 3D printing, big data, etc.

M

MtCO₂-e

Abbreviation for million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. The various greenhouse gases differ in their effects on the climate, so to make calculations easier, the amounts of these gases are converted into an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide with the same effect on warming potential. While carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities, others include methane, nitrous oxide, and some other gases with industrial applications.

R

Regenerative farming

Regenerative farming is an approach to farming systems that puts a focus on conserving and rehabilitating soil health, biodiversity and water resources.

Rare earth elements

Rare earth elements or metals are important components in high-tech devices including mobile phones, computer memory, rechargeable batteries, electric motors, etc.