Warakirri continues to conform to Leading Harvest
20 October 2025
Warakirri is pleased to share it has passed another successful surveillance audit against the Leading Harvest Farmland Management Standard (the Standard).
Warakirri achieved certification against the Standard for the first time following an independent audit completed by Averum in September 2023. The Leading Harvest certification covers over 180,000 hectares of properties held by the Warakirri Diversified Agriculture Fund, Warakirri Farmland Fund and Warakirri Cropping.
Full recertification is required every three years, with surveillance audits required every other year. Conformance to the Standard requires awareness and appropriate use of agricultural best management practices to advance sustainable agriculture. Most importantly, the Standard requires continual improvement.
About Leading Harvest
Leading Harvest, a nonprofit organization founded in the United States, launched its industry-leading program in Australia in March 2023, implementing a world-first sustainability assurance program designed to harmonise sustainability reporting across crops and regions.
Leading Harvest provides industry-leading sustainability standards that drive the transition to more sustainable and resilient land management globally. The standard covers 13 principles for sustainable agriculture,
- Sustainable agriculture
- Soil heath and conservation
- Protection and water resources
- Protection of crops
- Energy use, air quality and climate change
- Waste and material management
- Conservation of biodiversity
- Protection of special sites
- Local communities
- Employees and farm labour
- Legal and regulatory compliance
- Management and continual improvement
- Leased operations
The 13 principles are supported by 13 objectives, 33 performance measures and 73 indicators.
2025 AVERUM AUDIT – WARAKIRRI ASSET MANAGEMENT
In 2025, Averum was engaged by Warakirri to perform a surveillance audit of sustainability performance over 180,000 hectares of arable and non-arable land on direct and lessee managed operations. The aim of the audit was to determine conformance to the principles, objectives, performance measures, and indicators of the Leading Harvest Australian Farmland Management Standard 2025.
The surveillance audit was conducted on a sample of three properties in Tasmania and Victoria.
Key findings:
- No Major or Minor Non-Conformances
- One notable practice
- One opportunity for improvement
Notable practice – 1.1.1 Farmland Stewardship commitment
The notable practices related to several initiatives undertaken by Warakirri over the past year:
- being a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment
- developing an overarching Sustainability Policy for Warakirri and Sustainability Standards for each fund.
- Completing a gap analysis of the business against the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures for Warakirri and Warakirri Cropping.
- Producing annual sustainability reports for both Warakirri and the funds, in preparation for mandatory reporting requirements impacting the business in 2027.
Opportunity for improvement – 7.3.2 Deforestation
- The opportunity for improvement related to finalising a draft zero-deforestation policy.
For more information about Leading Harvest or to read our audit report, visit: Certification Database – Leading Harvest
Image: “Austral” Kiwifruit, Victoria, Warakirri Farmland Fund
