Robert Quirk - Sugar Cane Grower

They said it couldn't be done but Robert Quirk proved them wrong.   He has measured 6% soil organic carbon on his sugar cane farm near Murwillumbah, NSW.  Robert has a long and wide-ranging reputation for his innovation in soil regeneration.  After more that two decades of research and regeneration work on his farm,  Robert says the key is organic matter.  
Robert has been growing sugar cane in NSW Australia since he left school in 1959. He farms 100ht without any help and is all mechanised. He harvests between 8-10,000 tons of sugar cane per year from his 100ht.
He sits on many National and International committees including. The senior Vice chair of Australian Cane Farmers. He is a member of ISSCT, ASSCT, The international Union of Soil Sciences and the Australian Union of Soil Sciences. He is sought after as a reviewer for research and conference papers.

In early 2018 at a conference in Thailand, Robert received a life time achievement award for his work in the international sugar cane industry.

Robert checks his soybean rotation.

Just some of the awards Robert has received for his work in the sugar industry:

• ​Life membership of The Better Sugar Cane Initiative now Bonsucro.

• Global Ambassador for Bonsucro.
• Recognized as one of the top 100 sustainability leaders in the world.
• Presidents medal for the most useful research for the Australian sugar cane Industry in 2001.
• Churchill Fellowship to study acid sulphate soil remediation in USA, The Netherlands and The Peoples republic of China.
  

• Environmentalist of the year for Australia in 2006.
• Carbon Farmer of the year for Australia 2014.  

Robert has delivered research outcomes to conferences in 30 countries on topics as diverse as sustainable sugar cane growing, building soil carbon, accumulation of carbon in plant stones in sugar cane, acid sulphate soil remediation in sugar cane and climate change and its effects on agriculture. He has authored and co-authored many papers, articles and book chapters. He is presently consulting in the Sugar Cane industries in Indonesia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Nicaragua.