ADVERTISING FEATURE
The pressure is on Australian businesses, given the Commonwealth Government’s policy to net zero emissions by 2050. To adapt and survive, you must be flexible. Companies which are open to positive change and innovation with a focus on a circular economy will do more than survive, they will thrive — together with stakeholders and communities. Australian agritech company CannatrekThis is a part of the progress. Not only is it leading the field in seed to patient medicinal marijuana, but also is committed to sustainability as well as ethical investment.
All aspects of the medicinal cannabis industry must be transformed, from growers to product producers to energy costs to packaging. Committed to this long-term approach, Cannatrek — founded in 2015 — is a relative newcomer to the medical cannabis landscape so is able to adapt and pivot without the big turning circle of other less nimble operations.
And because Medical cannabisCannatrek is well-positioned to continue transforming the industry with innovation and nature.
Cannatreks Shepparton in rural Victoria has been awarded Major Project Status by Australian Government. When fully operational, it will produce 160 tonnes per year of medicinal cannabis. Besides being a major employment and export booster providing 400 jobs for the area and beyond — Cannatreks Shepparton operation is a living, breathing example of a Circular economyIn motion.
Reduce, repair, and then recycle
Cannatrek’s core business is to provide affordable plant-based therapies that improve quality of life for thousands in Australia and around the world. However, Cannatrek also operates with a focus on sustainability.
The Shepparton operation, which covers 178 acres, will have a 160,000m2 area of growing under a large high-tech glasshouse that rely on a combination of clean solar energy as well as future energy hydrogen. This means that pollutants such as diesel are stored only as a back up.
Access to rain water and clean water was another key reason in choosing the Goulburn Valley — the fruit capital of Australia — as a prime location for agricultural production. Beyond what and how it is produced, there is also the issue of where to be sustainable. Location also has an impact on transport considerations as well as soil use.
A circular economy does more than reduce our reliance on polluting substances. It also includes recycling. Cannatreks Shepparton facility recycles side-products and waste to produce plant-based packaging — trailblazing the way compared to other pharmaceutical companies heavily reliant on single use plastics. While plant-based alternatives for plastic are the future, hemp cellulose plastic and the many inventive uses of the cannabis plant have been around for decades. From pottery to rope and paper to clothing to Henry Fords prototype car with hemp fibre, the possibilities are endless. History of hempIts wide-ranging uses point to many exciting and open-ended possibilities.
Sustainability and the road ahead in Australia and Beyond
The Australian Government is committed, along with other world leaders, to Net zero emissions by 2050The UN Climate Summit in Glasgow COP26 ratified this commitment. This 2050 commitment covers international trade agreements, emission policies and costs, as well as penalties.
The Commonwealth Government’s commitment to sustainability at a national level is not legally binding on consumers and companies. The Commonwealth is working with businesses and consumers to reduce emissions, mainly through technology development. Investment in sustainability: $20 billion. Cannatrek, an Australian company, is part of the solution for sustainability. It embraces innovation, nature and the community.