Towards 'clean and green' farming systems using group learning to implement Environmental Management Systems

Abstract

Australian farmers want to market products as 'clean and green'. Environmental Management Systems (EMS) can help farmers improve their performance and justify 'green claims'. We worked with 12 farm families in southern New South Wales to develop and implement EMS using group learning and report progress towards developing more environmentally acceptable farming systems through increased perenniality and active management of remnant vegetation. Early on in the 3-year project, farmers assessed their environmental performance through development of a self-assessment questionnaire. Some had strong skills in management of remnant vegetation, whereas others were stronger in agronomy. Environmental monitoring tools were developed and tested, enabling farmers to assess on-farm perenniality, leakage (excess water lost) from paddocks and quality of remnant vegetation. Farmers became ready for the formal parts of EMS (environmental review, policy and action plans) half way through the project. The group-learning approach resulted in practice change. Improving farmers' understanding of environmental principles was found to be more important than the EMS process in achieving practice change, but EMS was a useful tool that enabled integration of production and environmental management.