Sam Duncan and Oli Madgett

Carbon Credits, Corporate Incentives, and Tech-Driven Sustainability: Insights from Farm Lab’s Sam Duncan and Oli Madgett

TL;DR

On the this episode of The Rural Entrepreneur podcast (listen here), host Chris Herbert sits down with Sam Duncan and Oli Madgett of Farm Lab.

They explain how Farm Lab is helping Australian farmers generate carbon credits and manage environmental data under the ACCU scheme—while drawing lessons and parallels for Canadian agriculture and the global push toward sustainability.

Introduction

Chris Herbert hosts Sam Duncan and Oli Madgett of Farm Lab, an Australian environmental data platform empowering farmers and corporations to measure, manage, and monetize environmental outcomes.

The conversation explores how Australia's regulated ACCU carbon market works, how voluntary and compliance-based markets compare, and how Scope 3 emissions and corporate commitments are reshaping supply chains.

The discussion also delves into adoption challenges, business model innovation, and how digitization and tech are key to scaling regenerative agriculture across borders.

Key Points and Insights

Theme	Insight
Australia as a Global Leader	Farm Lab supports farmers, consultants, and corporations in managing environmental data and leveraging the ACCU scheme to generate carbon credits.
International Parallels	Australia and Canada share common agricultural and carbon market dynamics, both facing increasing external pressures, especially from export markets like the EU.
Challenges in Voluntary Carbon Markets	Voluntary carbon markets often face issues with transparency, greenwashing, and price disparities. Sam Duncan emphasized the need for transparency and data-driven quality assurance to stabilize carbon market prices globally.
Corporate Influence on Sustainability	Corporations like McCain and Cargill are driving sustainability by supporting farmers financially in adopting sustainable practices. However, Oli Madgett noted that not all corporate approaches are beneficial, emphasizing a balanced "carrot vs. stick" methodology.
Insetting Projects	Sam Duncan highlighted the rising importance of "insetting" projects, where corporations incentivize farmers within their own supply chains to adopt sustainable practices, directly benefiting both parties.
Adoption Barriers	Farmers often resist sustainable practices due to economic uncertainties and short-term leasing arrangements. Chris Herbert shared anecdotes illustrating the economic disconnect between ecological benefits and immediate financial returns for landowners.
Technology as an Enabler	Farm Lab utilizes innovative technologies, such as remote sensing and digital mapping, significantly reducing the costs of measuring and implementing sustainability, thus fostering broader adoption.
Innovative Business Models	The participants explored collaborative models involving stakeholders such as corporations, pension funds, and farmers, highlighting the need to prioritize economic incentives for sustainable practice adoption.

Listen to Our Interview with Sam Duncan and Oli Madgett

Timeline with Timestamps

Time	Topic
00:00	Introduction to Farm Lab
03:15	Canada-Australia similarities
07:51	Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU)
09:47	Scope 3 emissions explained
14:31	Corporate-driven sustainable practices
19:28	Insetting projects and farmer incentives
30:38	Farmer adoption barriers
36:05	Technology enabling sustainability
37:11	Canadian pension funds investing in Australian agriculture
40:20	Innovative business models
46:28	Consumer-driven transparent pricing
48:39	Farm Lab’s Canadian project in Saskatchewan
51:18	Upcoming COP 31 in Adelaide and opportunities for collaboration
52:17	Importance of environmental data digitization

Notable Quotes

“Farmers hold the lever to reduce emissions through their practices, soils, and trees—technology makes it economically viable.” — Sam Duncan (10:52)

“A lot of farmers want to be more sustainable, but they're stuck with what they know works—even if it’s not ideal. They’ve spent decades perfecting conventional methods, and without clear economic upside or support, switching feels too risky. But if we can make the new path easier with technology and incentives, they’ll come on board.” — Chris Herbert (30:38)

“We need transparent carbon methods, driven by tech and global consistency, to build trust and achieve real scale and impact.” — Oli Madgett (29:13)

Conclusion

The conversation highlights that regenerative agriculture is not just an environmental necessity but a strategic business move, driven increasingly by corporate and consumer pressure.

Farm Lab emphasizes that transparent, tech-driven methodologies and economic incentives—like insetting and innovative business models—are key to scaling sustainable agriculture effectively.

Call to Action

• Listen & Share: Catch the full podcast episode to dive deeper into sustainable farming and carbon-credit insights.

• Start Digitizing: Farmers, begin capturing your environmental data digitally to unlock sustainability incentives and make informed decisions.

• Attend COP 31: Consider attending the 2026 COP conference in Adelaide to engage with global best practices in regenerative agriculture.

• Support Transparency: Consumers and stakeholders, advocate for transparent pricing and direct farmer benefits to accelerate sustainable practices adoption.

• Stay Updated: Subscribe to the Rural Entrepreneur Podcast for future discussions at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and rural business.