Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AN > EA06030
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 47(3)

Preparing Australian broadacre agriculture for environmental scrutiny using Environmental Management Systems: implications for extension services

A. M. Ridley
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

Department of Primary Industries and Co-operative Research Centre for Plant-Based Management of Dryland Salinity, RMB 1145, Rutherglen, Vic. 3685, Australia. Email: anna.ridley@dpi.vic.gov.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(3) 367-377 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA06030
Submitted: 11 January 2006  Accepted: 6 September 2006   Published: 12 February 2007

Abstract

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) have been trialled in the broadacre industries across Australia. This paper outlines the trends in extension service provision, comments on changes needed if environmental issues are to become higher priority and discusses institutional issues. For EMS in Australia to become a mainstream farm business management activity there needs to be sufficient private good outcomes for land managers to adopt them and sufficient public good outcomes for public money to be invested in their implementation. As there are few market drivers at present, extension and incentives are likely to be needed to facilitate their uptake. Evaluation of likely cost-effective public good outcomes is needed for continued public sector investment. Regardless of whether EMS or similar schemes are provided by the public or private sector, if they are to become mainstream there needs to be a move from the dominant extension models used by the public sector (group facilitation and empowerment) to a programmed learning approach. Building on a ‘personalised consultant’ model is recommended for land managers prepared to pay for information to maintain their competitive edge. For more ‘traditional’ land managers, partnerships with the public sector through Landcare networks and regional natural resource management bodies and rural resellers are more realistic. There is large need for formalised training of both public and private extension providers. The institutional arrangements and current alignment and supportiveness for EMS between state agencies, farmer organisations and regional natural resource management bodies is highly variable across the states, but currently appears strongest in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. Australian broadacre industries are globally exposed in being prepared to take on increased environmental scrutiny. It will take many years to reduce this risk given the large and dispersed nature of the broadacre industries. All players, especially governments, regional organisations, peak farmer and peak industry groups need to take a more proactive role in funding and implementing EMS or similar type schemes if they believe there are long-term benefits in doing so. The alternative is to wait for a crisis and be limited to taking a reactive approach to environmental accountability.


Acknowledgements

Discussions with Geoff Park and Tim Paramore have helped shape my views on extension needs for natural resource management. I am grateful to John Noonan (WA), Linda Lee (Qld), Tony Roberts (Qld), Tony Gleeson (Qld), Andrew Johnson (SA), Sarah Morgan (SA), Genevieve Carruthers (NSW), Liz Bond (Tas.), Jane Lovell (Tas.) and Fiona Hill (Canberra) for providing information about the alignment of state, farmer organisation and regional natural resource management arrangements as well as to Eloise Seymour (Vic.), Jon Warren (WA) and an anonymous referee for helpful comments.


References


Anon.  (2001a) Australian natural resources audit. Available at http://audit.ea.gov.au/anra/atlas_home.cfm (verified 19 January 2007)

Anon.  (2001b) Beneficiaries and funders of research and development in agriculture: Science, Technology and Innovation, and Naturally Victorian initiatives 2000/2001. Evaluation Report No. 4. Natural Resources and Environment, East Melbourne.

Anon.  (2002) ‘The health of our catchments, a Victorian report card.’ (The State of Victoria: Victorian Catchment Management Council)

Anon.  (2003) ‘The way forward, an action plan for adoption of EMS in Victoria.’ (Victorian Farmers Federation, Departments of Primary Industries and Sustainability and Environment: Melbourne)

Anon.  (2005) Australian Social Trends 2005. Available at http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/7d12b0f6763c78caca257061001cc588/72b476dd4e468fdcca2570f300176b23 (verified 6 February 2007)

Banney S (2002) Environmental Management Systems, cattle industry pilot. Final report for project number NAP3.329 Meat and Livestock Australia, Sydney.

Barr N, Karunaratne K, Wilkinson R (2005) ‘Australia’s farmers: past, present and future.’ (Land and Water Australia: Canberra)

Carruthers G, Tinning G (2003) Where, and how, do monitoring and sustainability indicators fit into environmental management systems? Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, 307–323.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | (verified 1 February 2007)

Ridley AM (2005) The role of farming systems approaches in achieving environmental sustainability in Australian agriculture. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45, 603–615.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | (verified 19 January 2007)

Stoneham G, Eigenraam M, Ridley AM, Barr N (2003) The application of sustainability concepts to Australian agriculture: an overview. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, 195–203.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Thomson A, Andrew M, Jarvis T, Howard B (2006) MS national pilotprogram final report for Australian Government Department ofAgriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Reference number 42443883. URSAustralia Pty Ltd, Hackney, SA.

Vanclay F, Lawrence G (1995) ‘The environmental imperative: eco-social concerns for Australian agriculture.’ (Central Queensland University Press: Rockhampton)

Williams A (2005) Marketing quality and the environment: two sides of the same coin. In ‘Proceedings of the 4th national Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in agriculture conference’. [CD-ROM]

Williams J, O’Sullivan J, Roberts K (2005) How far should we go? – the value of ISO 14001 EMS for Gippsland beef and lam producers. In ‘Proceedings of the 4th national Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in agriculture conference’. [CD-ROM]