Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Toward Environmental Management Systems in Australian Agriculture to Achieve Better Environmental Outcomes at the Catchment Scale

  • A Review
  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) are being trialed for Australian agricultural industries as society becomes more concerned about agriculture’s environmental performance. EMS is a structured approach used by farm businesses to assess, monitor, and improve environmental performance. Use of EMS in conjunction with other policy tools (such as financial incentives and regulation) in agriculture could enhance management of both on-farm and off-farm environmental issues. Based on the international standard ISO14001, EMS was designed to be applied at the individual business level. However, governments in Australia are exploring its potential to be applied at a catchment scale, among other things, for the purpose of linking farm-level actions to catchment targets. In Australia, governments and catchment management bodies are using Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) as the framework to try to achieve environmental targets set out in catchment plans. In this article, we compare aspects of the EMS and ICM frameworks and comment on the potential of using EMS to achieve catchment-scale environmental outcomes. We conclude that EMS could be a useful policy tool to improve farm management and to contribute, in part, to better off-site outcomes at the catchment/landscape scale. Recommendations on the use of EMS at the catchment scale are discussed. These include using an educational approach for EMS delivery, linking the EMS process to catchment targets, and ensuring catchment targets are realistic and achievable.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  • ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics). 2000. Available at http://www.abs.gov.au

  • W. Allen O. Bosch M. Kilvington J. Oliver M. Gilbert (2001) ArticleTitleBenefits of collaborative learning for environmental management: Applying the integrated systems for knowledge management approach to support animal pest control Environmental Management 27 IssueID2 215–223 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s002670010144 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD2cvgtFShtg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11116380

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • W. J. Altham T. F. Guerin (1999) ArticleTitleWhere does ISO14001 fit into the environmental regulatory framework Australian Journal of Environmental Management 6 IssueID2 86–98

    Google Scholar 

  • ANAO (Australian National Audit Office). 1997. Commonwealth natural resource management and environment programs—Australia’s land, water and vegetation resources. The Auditor General, AGPS, Canberra, Australia. Available at http://audit.ea.gov.au/ANRA/

  • ASEC (Australian State of the Environment Committee). 2001. Australia State of the Environment 2001: Independent Report to the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and Heritage. Commonwealth of Australia, Environment Australia, Canberra

  • AS/NZS (Australian/New Zealand Standard). 1996. Environmental Management Systems—general guidelines on principles, systems and supporting techniques. AS/NZS ISO14004:1996. Standard Australia, Homebush NSW and Standards New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand

  • Ashton, P. 1999. LEAF—promoting integrated crop management (ICM). Pages 180–183 in Proceedings of the Environmental Management Systems in Agriculture Workshop, 26–28 May 1999, Ballina NSW. RIRDC Publication No 99/94. Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Kingston, ACT. Available at http://www.rirdc.gov.au/ems/index.html

  • Banney, S. 2001. Beef property EMS is pilot for the industry. Australian Farm Journal 11(9):10–13. Available at http://www.australianfarmjournal.com/

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Bates (2003) Legal Perspectives S. Dovers (Eds) Managing Australia’s environment The Federation Press Annandale NSW, Australia 255–301

    Google Scholar 

  • J. A. Bellamy A. K. L. Johnson (2000) ArticleTitleIntegrated resource management: moving from rhetoric to practice in Australian agriculture Environmental Management 25 IssueID3 265–280 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s002679910021 Occurrence Handle10629309

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • D. Bennett (2002) Community-based ICM: problem solver or social movement? T. W. Graham D. J. Pannell B. White (Eds) Dryland salinity: Economic issues at farm, catchment and policy levels. Cooperative Research Centre for Plant-Based Management of Dryland Salinity University of Western Australia Perth, Australia 205–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Bond, E., S. Cadman, N. Carey, and M. Hart. 2001. Tasmanian experiences in implementing QA/EMS to supply export markets. In Environmental Management Systems in Agriculture Conference, 6–8 November, Ballina, NSW, Austalia

  • Bosch, O. J. H., W. J. Allen, and R. S. Gibson. 1996. Monitoring is an integral part of management and policy making. Pages 12–21 in Proceedings of Symposium “Resource Management: Issues, Visions, Practice,” 5–8 July 1996, Lincoln University, New Zealand

  • A. Campbell (2000) Formenting synergy: Experiences with facilitating Landcare in Australia N. G. Roling M. A. E. Wagemakers (Eds) Facilitating sustainable agriculture: Participatory learning and adaptive management in times of environmental uncertainty Cambridge University Press Cambridge 232–249

    Google Scholar 

  • Carruthers, G., and S. Murray. 1999. Environmental management systems and agriculture: How can they be applied and what are the benefits? In G. Carruthers and G. Tinning (eds.) Proceedings, Production and Environmental Monitoring Workshop, 17–19 March 1999. University of New England, Armidale, NSW. RIRDC Publication No. 99/94. Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Kingston, ACT. Available at http://www.rirdc.gov.au/ems/index.html

  • G. Carruthers G. Tinning (2003) ArticleTitleWhere, and how, do monitoring and sustainability indicators fit into environmental management systems? Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43 307–323 Occurrence Handle10.1071/EA00177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cary, J., T. Webb, and N. Barr. 2002. Understanding landholders’ capacity to change to sustainable practices; insights about practice adoption and social capacity for change. Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra. Available at http://www.affa.gov.au/output/ruralscience.html

  • D. Cocks (1994) Use with care: Managing Australia’s natural resources in the twenty first century University of New South Wales Press Sydney, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Coglianese, C., and J. Nash. 2001. Regulating from the inside: Can Environmental Management Systems achieve policy goals? In C. Coglianese and J. Nash (eds.). Resources for the future. Washington DC.

  • A. Cole J. Harris (2003) Eco-labelling, credence attributes and the role of government Department of Primary Industries Victoria, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Cotton Australia. 2003. Best Management Practices. Available at http://www.cottonaustralia.com.au/bmpindex.html) (Accessed October 22, 2003)

  • P. Crabb (2003) Straddling boundaries: Intergovernmental arrangements for managing natural resources S. Dovers S. Wild River (Eds) Managing Australia’s environment The Federation Press Annandale, NSW, Australia 229–254

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Curtis (2003) The Landcare experience S. Dovers S. Wild River (Eds) Managing Australia’s environment The Federation Press Annandale, NSW, Australia 442–460

    Google Scholar 

  • DAFF (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry Australia). 2004. Environmental Management Systems National Pilot Program. Available at http://www.daff.gov.au/ems

  • J. Dore J. Woodhill K. Andrews C. Keating (2003) Sustainable regional development: Lessons from Australian efforts S. Dovers S. Wild River (Eds) Managing Australia’s environment The Federation Press Annandale, NSW, Australia 154–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Douglas, J., T. Gleeson, and C. Turner. 2002. An Australian Landcare Management System. Synapse Research and Consulting, Brisbane, Queensland. Available at http://www.synapseconsulting.com.au/docs/alms

  • DLWC (Department of Land and Water Conservation). 2001. Murray Catchment Management Plan Draft: A blueprint for action, October 2001. Department of Land and Water Conservation, NSW. Available at http://www.murraycmc. org.au/

  • EU (European Union). 2000. European Commission web-site Available at http://www.europa.eu.int/en/ comm/eurostat

  • S. Ewing (2003) Catchment management arrangements S. Dovers S. Wild River (Eds) Managing Australia’s environment The Federation Press Annandale, NSW, Australia 393–412

    Google Scholar 

  • I. Fraser P. Hone (2002) ArticleTitleDevelopment and implementation of Agri-Environmental Policy: English experience and lessons for Australia Australian Journal of Environmental Management 9 IssueID4 228–242

    Google Scholar 

  • N. Gunningham D. Sinclair (2002) Leaders and laggards: Next generation environmental regulation Greenleaf Publishing Limited Sheffield, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Harding D. Traynor (2003) Informing ESD: State of the environment reporting S. Dovers S. Wild River (Eds) Managing Australia’s environment The Federation Press Annandale, NSW, Australia 181–228

    Google Scholar 

  • HRSCEH (House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage). 2000. Coordinating Catchment Management: Report of the inquiry into catchment management. Canberra: Parliament of Australia. Available at http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/environ/cminq/cmirpt/contents.htm

  • ISO. 2000. The ISO survey of ISO 9000 and 14000 Certificates Tenth Cycle. Available at http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/iso9000-14000/pdf/survey10thcycle.pdf

  • A. Johnson D. Shrubsole M. Merrin (1996) ArticleTitleIntegrated Catchment Management in Northern Australia: From concept to implementation Land Use Policy 13 303–316 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0264-8377(96)84559-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kingma O., and W. Musgrave. 2003 Pages 501 514 in S. Dovers and S. Wild River (eds.) Managing Australia’s environment The Federation Press Annandale, NSW, Australia

  • D. A. Kolb (1984) Experimental learning: Experience as the source of learning and development Prentice-Hall Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, D. N., P. Carberry, S. T. Cawley, J. A. Doughton, and D. Herridge. 2001. Success factors for participatory farming systems projects, field notes from the north. Proceedings 10th Australian Agronomy Conference, Hobart, January 2001

  • R. Lang (Eds) (1990) Integrated approaches to resource planning and management. The Banff Centre, School of Management University of Calgary Press Calgary, Canada

    Google Scholar 

  • LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming). 2003. About the LEAF organisation. The National Centre, Warwickshire, UK. Available at http://www.leafuk.org/

  • S. Lockie K. Lyons G. Lawrence K. Mummery (2002) ArticleTitleEating ‘green’: motivations behind organic food consumption in Australia Sociologia Ruralis 42 IssueID1 22–38

    Google Scholar 

  • G. MacFarlane K. Trewick (2002) Environmental Best Management Practice on farms—Workbooks 1 and 2 Department of Natural Resources & Environment Geelong, Victoria

    Google Scholar 

  • MDBMC (Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council). 2000. Draft Integrated Catchment Management in the Murray Darling Basin. Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council. Canberra, Australia

  • Mech, T., and J. Young. 2001. VEMA’s Voluntary Environmental Management Arrangements: Designing voluntary environmental management arrangements to improve natural resource management in agriculture and allied rural industries. Policy and Economic Research Unit, CSIRO Land & Water. RIRDC Publication No 01/139. Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Kingston, ACT. Available at http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/Ras/CSL_ 15A.pdf

  • Mech, T. 2002. Overcoming institutional barriers to EMS implementation in agriculture. In OECD conference: Environmental Management Systems: From Implementation to Communication. March 2002, Salsomaggiore, Italy

  • T. Mech K. Lowe A. Cole (2003) Land stewardship and Environmental Management Systems Department of Sustainability and Environment Victoria, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Metzenbaum (2001) Information, environmental performance, and Environmental Management Systems C. Coglianese J. Nash (Eds) Regulating from the inside: Can Environmental Management Systems achieve policy goals? Resources for the Future Washington, DC 146–180

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Mitchell M. Hollick (1993) ArticleTitleIntegrated Catchment Management in Western Australia: Transition from concept to implementation Environmental Management 17 IssueID6 735–743

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameMLA (Meat and Livestock Australia) (2002) Review—On-farm QA in the Australian Livestock Sector: Summary report Meat and Livestock Australia Limited, Sydney NSW. Meat and Livestock Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Morelli (1999) Voluntary environmental management: The inevitable future Lewis Publishers New York

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Morrison K. Cushing Z. Day J. Speir (2000) Managing a better environment: Opportunities and obstacles for ISO14001 in public policy and commerce Report of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security Oakland, California

    Google Scholar 

  • NHT (Natural Heritage Trust). 2003. Environmental Management Systems National Pilot Program. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra. Available at http://www.daff.gov.au/EMS

  • Nimmo-Bell and Company Limited. 1999. Evaluation of the Focus Farm and Orchard Programme. Commissioned by MAF Policy and Ministry for the Environment, MAF Policy Technical Paper 99/6, New Zealand, June 1999

  • NSW DPI (New South Wales Department of Primary Industries). 2004. NSW Agriculture and Catchment Management. NSW Department of Primary Industries. Available at http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/14224

  • OFEC (Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition). 1996. Ontario Environmental Farm Plan, 2nd ed. Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition, Toronto, Canada. Available at http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/environment/efp/efp.htm

  • Productivity Commission. 2002. Productivity Commission submission to the Environmental Management Systems Working Group: Towards a National Framework for the Development of Environmental Management Systems in Agriculture. Canberra

  • H. M. Rhodes L. S. Leland B. E. Niven (2002) ArticleTitleFarmers, streams, information, and money: Does informing farmers about riparian management have any effect? Environmental Management 30 IssueID5 665–677 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00267-002-2714-7 Occurrence Handle12375087

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ricegrowers Association of Australia. 2002. How you become the most efficient rice grower in the world. Rice Growers Association, Leeton NSW, Australia. Available: http://www.rga.org.au/environment/champions.asp

  • Ridley, A. M. 2001. Towards Environmental Management Systems in broad-acre agriculture: rhetoric, reality and future possibilities. In Proceedings 10th Australian Agronomy Conference. Hobart, January 2001

  • A. Ridley T. Paramore C. Beverly F. Dunin V. Froelich (2003a) ArticleTitleDeveloping environmental monitoring tools from sustainability indicators in the southern Riverina Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43 271–284 Occurrence Handle10.1071/EA00171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A. Ridley T. Paramore E. Seymour (2003b) ArticleTitleTowards ‘clean and green’ farming systems using group learning to implement Environmental Management Systems Australian Journal of Botany 51 1–9 Occurrence Handle10.1071/BT02112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • N. Röling (1993) ArticleTitleAgricultural knowledge and environmental regulation in the Netherlands Sociologia Ruralis 33 IssueID2 261–280

    Google Scholar 

  • H. Rudy (2002) Australian Environmental Management Systems—A Canadian’s perspective Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. Report to the Grains Research and Development Corporation Canberra, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • SCNRMMC (Standing Committee to the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council). 2002. Australia’s National Framework for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in Agriculture. Natural Resource Management Standing Committee Report 1. Available at http://www.affa.gov.au/content/ems_navigator

  • Stoneham, G., A. Ha, V. Chaudhri, and L. Strappazzon. (2002). Auctions for conservation contracts: An empirical examination of Victoria’s BushTender trial. In Conference of the Australian Agricultural Resource and Economics Society, Perth, Western Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, L. 2001. Blue skies, red earth and a ‘green’ tick. In Proceedings Environmental Management Systems in Agriculture Conference, 6–8 November Ballina NSW. Available at http://www.rirdc.gov.au/ems/index. html

  • Thurlow, B., and B. Hamilton. 1997. Integrated catchment management in Western Australia. In Proceedings Second National Workshop on Integrated Catchment Management, Advancing Integrated Resource Management: Processes and Policies. Australian National University, River Basin Management Society, Canberra, Australia

  • Tinning, G., and G. Carruthers. 2002. Develop your own EMS—A grain farming example. NSW Agriculture, Wollongbar, NSW, Australia. Available at http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/ems

  • Twyford-Jones, P., L. Pahl, and R. Sharp. 2003. The Eco-Range project: can the market drive better environmental performance in agriculture? Proceedings 3rd National Conference on Environmental Management Systems in Agriculture 2003. Tanunda, South Australia. Available at http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/pages/rur_sol/ems/index6. htm

  • USDANRCS (United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service). 1997. Protecting your resources through a farm and home assessment. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Education & Extension Service, US EPA, Washington, DC. Available at http://www.uwex.edu/farmasyst

  • US Almanac. 2000. Country statistics at a glance. Available at http://www.infoplease.com/almanac

  • Vanclay, F., and G. Lawrence. 1994. Farmer rationality and the adoption of environmentally sound practices; a critique of the assumptions of traditional agricultural extension. European Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 1(1). Available at http://library.wur.nl./ejae/

  • VCMC (Victorian Catchment Management Council). 2003. Victoria’s Catchment Management Framework. Available at http://www.vcmc.vic.gov.au/Web/CatchmentManagementFramework.htm

  • VCMC/DSE (Victorian Catchment Management Council/Department of Sustainability and Environment). 2003. Ecosystem services through land stewardship practices: issues and options. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria, Australia

  • M. E. White (1997) Listen our land is crying: Australia’s environment: problems and solutions Kangaroo Press Pty Ltd Kenthurst, NSW, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Wild River, S. 2003. Pages 338–362 in S. Dovers and S. Wild River (eds.) Managing Australia’s environment. The Federation Press, Annandale, NSW, Australia

  • Williams, J., and H. Gascoigne. 2003. Redesign of plant production systems for Australian landscapes. In Proceedings of 11th Australian Agronomy Conference “Solutions for a better environment.” Geelong, Victoria, 2–6 February

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameWorkCover Authority of NSW (1998) Code of Practice for the safe use and storage of chemicals in agriculture WorkCover Authority of NSW Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • D. G. Yencken D. Wilkinson (2000) Resetting the compass: Australia’s journey towards sustainability CSIRO Publishing Victoria, Australia

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful for the helpful comments and information provided by Harold Rudy (Ontario Crop Improvement Association). Thanks to Shayne Annett and Mark Allaway (Department of Primary Industries, East Melbourne) for their comments regarding ICM in Victoria.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Primary Industries, Primary Industries Research Victoria, RMB 1145 Chiltern Valley Rd.Rutherglen, 3685, Victoria, Australia

    Eloise J. Seymour & Anna M. Ridley

Authors
  1. Eloise J. Seymour
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Anna M. Ridley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eloise J. Seymour.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Seymour, E.J., Ridley, A.M. Toward Environmental Management Systems in Australian Agriculture to Achieve Better Environmental Outcomes at the Catchment Scale. Environmental Management 35, 311–329 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-0107-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-0107-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation