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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 47(3)

Stakeholder expectations for environmental assurance in agriculture: lessons from the pastoral industry

L. I. Pahl A C and R. Sharp B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland, PO Box 102, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

B Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland, GPO Box 46, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: lester.pahl@dpi.qld.gov.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(3) 260-272 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA06019
Submitted: 14 December 2006  Accepted: 14 July 2006   Published: 12 February 2007

Abstract

This paper outlines the expectations of a wide range of stakeholders for environmental assurance in the pastoral industries and agriculture generally. Stakeholders consulted were domestic consumers, rangeland graziers, members of environmental groups, companies within meat and wool supply chains, and agricultural industry, environmental and consumer groups. Most stakeholders were in favour of the application of environmental assurance to agriculture, although supply chains and consumers had less enthusiasm for this than environmental and consumer groups. General public good benefits were more important to environmental and consumer groups, while private benefits were more important to consumers and supply chains. The ‘ideal’ form of environmental assurance appears to be a management system that provides for continuous improvement in environmental, quality and food safety outcomes, combined with elements of ISO 14024 eco-labelling such as life-cycle assessment, environmental performance criteria, third-party certification, labelling and multi-stakeholder involvement. However, market failure prevents this from being implemented and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. In the short term, members of supply chains (the people that must implement and fund environmental assurance) want this to be kept simple and low cost, to be built into their existing industry standards and to add value to their businesses. As a starting point, several agricultural industry organisations favour the use of a basic management system, combining continuous improvement, risk assessment and industry best management practice programs, which can be built on over time to meet regulator, market and community expectations.


Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the funding provided for this research by Rural Industries and Research and Development Corporation, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Queensland and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems. A great deal of thanks is extended to people who contributed to this research at various times: ACNielsen, MarketSense, Wendy Mort, Kerry Miles, Guy Newell, Peter Twyford-Jones and Katrina Warman. We also thank Anna Ridley for providing encouragement and guidance to the authors, and for constructive criticism of several drafts.


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