Environmental Management System: Implementation, Voluntary Adoption, and Limitations in Australian Agriculture Sector

Running Head: Environmental Management System
Environmental Management System
Essay
System04104
9/11/2018

Environmental Management System
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Environmental Management Systems: Implementation, Voluntary
Adoption, and its limitations in Australian Agriculture Sector
The agriculture industry represents a vital and diverse sector in the Australian economy and
plays a major role in the production and processing of food, fibre, and ornamental products.
Environmental management plays a vital role in agriculture and producing high-quality
products in both the international and domestic market. Thus, it is through public pressure
and marketing interest that everybody understands and aware of the need for agriculture and
its impact on the environment in a sustainable way.
EMS is a system-based approach that can be used by farmers as well as many business
organisations to improve its efficiency and effectiveness in the business operation or
production of goods with maintaining improved environmental results. The adoption of a
formal EMS system in agriculture sector is essential thus, it is necessary to implement it
properly in the agriculture sector. The Ministry of Agriculture in Austrian and Natural
Resource then developed a National Framework for EMS, which supports in the
implementation of EMS in Australian agriculture (Nguyen, et.al, 2014).
1. What is EMS?
EMS is an organised and a systematic regulatory body that helps agriculture system, farmers,
or any enterprises or business organisations to identify and manage its impact on the
environment. The EMS is an unified management tool that provides the opportunity to
improve industrial (especially Agricultural, beef, food processing) recital by supporting and
constructing current activities such as best management practices, production certification,
and quality assurance, property management planning schemes. It works on a management
outline that is based on ‘plan, do, check, and act’ cycle that helps in constant improvement in
various sectors of agriculture (Lewandowska, 2011).
2. Key objective of EMS
The main objective of EMS is to proper management of natural resources, which is essential
for the encounter of long-term environmental issues. The Australian government is very
much capable of managing and protecting their natural resources and the environment.
However, the major concern is that the involvement of other sectors such as agriculture,

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industry, landholders, meat (beef), and other wider community is also important to achieve
these aims (Leung and Yang, 2012). The main objectives of EMS are as follows:
1. Analyse the impact of various industrial operation for environmental review.
2. Develop an environmental management program
3. Operational and documental control over various industries
4. Monitoring and measurement
5. Develop an environmental policy
6. Prevent pollution
3. Role of ISO 14001:2015 and 14040:2006 in EMS
The Australian EMS is certified by ISO 14001:2015 and 14040:2006. ISO 14001:2015 is a
core function of EMS that increased the importance of environmental management by
providing adequate guiding in the strategic planning process. It focuses on stronger
commitment to practical initiatives that enhance environmental performance with the main
focus on life cycle thinking. It also integrates the environmental issues with the site’s
business model. This measures the life cycle impacts of products and services. ISO
14040:2006 describe the values and outline of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) including
definitions, Life cycle inventory analysis, goals and scope of LCA, impact assessment of life
cycle, and other fundamental information about LCA (ISO, 2006). LCA is a system
comprising a portfolio of proper inputs and outputs of a product system and measuring the
possible impacts of these outputs and input on the environment, and reducing the results of
the inventory and its impact. Although the LCA is reflected to be a good tool used for
measuring the environmental effects and its impact in coordination with the EMS. The
limitations of EMS do not prohibit its appropriateness to be used. After certain
interpretations, LCA as an appreciated alternative to the environmental practices we are
currently using in Australia.
4. Issues and Solutions regarding EMS
The major problem behind Australian EMS program is its implementation and adoption by
the farmers and landholders. It is assumed that it is only suitable for the large business
organisation and not cares about the small people. To make it successful it is necessary that it
should be adopted by the various farmers and landholders in Austrian who are the key
stakeholders of this program. The Australian government continuously focuses on Voluntary
adoption of this environmental program thus the adverse effect of the organisational