Environment - resource management

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE	KPIs	OUTCOMES	BENEFITS	FUTURE
Undertake research into priority environmental issues and support adoption of outcomes	Quantify the effect of red meat supply chains on water use, greenhouse and solid waste emissions Identify requirements that demonstrate responsible environmental management Develop and launch best practice environmental guidelines for processors	Life cycle analysis has been calculated for three supply chains and the results are awaiting peer review 55 key opinion leaders interviewed to design the LPA QA environmental module and the Landleader survey Best practice guidelines endorsed by DAFF and AMIC distributed via workshops in all states and territories	Credible data for actual water usage and greenhouse emissions Retain industry access to natural resources Processor viability verified for regulators	An environmental footprint analysis performed to identify the sustainability of natural resource use Increase uptake of Landleader and LPA QA Roll out to environmental regulators and agencies

Demonstrating environmental stewardship

Recognising that the level of scrutiny and demand for environmental information is likely to increase over time, a number of new environmental management initiatives were implemented this year.

Collaborating with Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), we developed Landleader – an initiative to track change in on-farm environmental management and generate data that can be used to demonstrate improvement at an industry level. The development included initial focus group meetings and a three-week data collection period in which over 1,000 producers were surveyed.

We developed and road tested two regionally-specific, voluntary environmental modules for Livestock Production Assurance. The program allows producers to assure environmental performance at an individual farm level in response to specific market demands, or to underpin a brand claim.

Both of these initiatives were funded through DAFF’s Pathways to environmental management systems program.

We also focused on modelling the environmental impact of red meat production systems to generate quantitative data robust enough for scientific and public debate. Water use, greenhouse gas and solid waste emissions have been calculated for three supply chains and the results are awaiting peer review. Modelling environmental impact is an emerging science and we will continue to build capacity in this area to ensure credible results.

Waging war on weeds

Weeds continue to be one of Australia’s largest environmental issues costing the industry A$1.5 billion annually.*

This year we invested in longer term biocontrol options for prickly acacia, bellyache bush and Parkinsonia, and invested with AWI in new weed control publications and extension activities. These included best practice recommendations for six weeds of industry significance highlighting the 3D approach to weed control – deliberation, diversity and diligence; 24 producer case studies; two new Tips & Tools; and a management guide for Sporobolus grass weeds.

Future Farm Industries CRC

An ongoing commitment was made this year to reducing water use and salinity, and improving native vegetation, in the establishment of the Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FFI CRC), which MLA supports along with 15 other partners.

Best practice processors

The red meat processing industry achieved a major milestone in environmental management through the official launch of its Environmental Best Practice Guidelines by Federal Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Peter McGauran, and endorsed by DAFF and all industry bodies in the sector.

The guidelines, consistent with the many stringent regulations, define current environmental best practice for meat processors and address issues covering odour and air quality, wastewater treatment and its irrigation to land, waste solids and energy management.

Their aim is to provide an agreed and consistent statement of current environmental best practice in the Australian meat processing industry which promotes efficient consumption of resources and minimises its ecological footprint.

* From Sinden et al. 2003 Calculated from total control costs and yield losses in the livestock industry of $2.1 billion less wool yield losses of $588 million.

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