An adaptive management paradigm already exists that addresses the concerns of this inquiry with respect to livestock grazing systems. Holistic management (HM) empowers graziers with decision frameworks to help them adapt to climate variability, and is based on observations of natural herd behaviour of large herbivores in southern Africa. HM grazing is rapidly gaining popularity on farm enterprises in Australia's temperate grazing zone. It (1) provides flexible management options in the face of climatic uncertainty, and (2) enhances the resilience of the natural environment, thus leaving it better prepared for climatic variability.

Unlike many other adaptive strategies to climate change, HM grazing is a proactive, low-tech solution that has at its core a different way of thinking about grazing systems, combined with the smarter application of known management techniques. Adoption of HM grazing signals a change in farming mentality from trying to gain control over the land to working with natural variability and embracing an ethic of land stewardship. Farmers using HM grazing have reported a wide range of benefits, including reduced soil erosion, increased water efficiency, improved pasture species cover and composition, improved quality of life, and more stable financial returns. Public good benefits include increased carbon sequestration, more biodiversity, and reduced nutrient loads off-farm. We summarise key aspects of HM grazing. To give a flavour of first-hand accounts of the benefits outlined above, we provide anonymous quotes by HM farmers involved in our current, federally-funded research in the temperate agricultural zone. We conclude by suggesting ways in which government can support the significant shift in grazing practices that is already underway.