Implementing Environmental Management Systems in the Australian Agriculture Sector

The essay analyzes research studies of eminent scholars on the implementation of Environmental Management Systems in the Australian agriculture sector. It discusses the advantages of implementing environmental management systems and the impact of institutional pressures on environmental strategies. The essay also sheds light on the role of life cycle assessment in supporting sustainable agri-food systems.

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Implementing Environmental Management Systems in the Australian Agriculture Sector
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
The environmental management systems are generally implemented to put forth an
improvement in the outcomes of the agricultural practices on the given environment. The main
aim of environmental management systems is to present the next generation with a world
wherein the sustainability is maintained in the various developmental activities. This also helps
in the protection of the environment that surrounds us. The following essay aims to analyze the
research studies of the eminent scholars on the environmental management systems and the
implementation of the studies on the Australian agricultural sector.
Cary and Roberts (2011) in the article entitled “The limitations of environmental
management systems in Australian agriculture” attempts a reviewing of the broad approaches
that are undertaken by the Australian governments in the matters that are related to the
improvement in the management of the land as well as the water systems. The land and the water
systems are largely associated with the agricultural land within the territories of Australia. The
article in discussion has helped me to gain knowledge on the advantage of the application of the
environmental management systems. The environmental management systems are generally
implemented to put forth an improvement in the outcomes of the agricultural practices on the
given environment.
The article entitled “Tackling agricultural diffuse pollution: What might uptake of
farmer-preferred measures deliver for emissions to water and air?” by Collins et al. (2016) on
the other hand dealt with the failure of the various approaches that have been implemented in the
United Kingdom. The article educated me on the application of the measures that were
undertaken by the government in the United Kingdom. These measures had however failed in
delivering the expected results due to the failure in the achievement of the high rates of adoption.

2ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
The article also helped me learn about the various measures of mitigation that were adopted by
the farmers in order to put forth an improvement in the agricultural aspects of the country.
Daddi et al. (2016) in the article entitled “Exploring the link between institutional
pressures and environmental management systems effectiveness: an empirical study” discusses
the highly debated institutional theory within the field of agriculture. The article has helped me
to gain knowledge on the impact of the institutional pressures on the choices of the company
regarding the environmental strategies that are proactive in nature. The article in discussion has
also helped me in understanding the varied roles that are played by the coercive, the mimetic and
the normative forces. The afore-mentioned factors are known to have been stimulating the
competitive as well as the innovative responses that are depicted by the various firms that are
certified in the matters related to the environmental measures.
de Oliveira et al. (2017) in the article entitled “How can Cleaner Production practices
contribute to meet ISO 14001 requirements? Critical analysis from a survey with industrial
companies” argue that the various organizations that are related to the business in the agricultural
field should incorporate the measures that are related to the maximization of the environmental
performances. The companies should abide by the performances that are put forth by the
stakeholders of the concern. The authors further argue that the concerned business organizations
might also need to discuss the ways to maximize the performance of the company in the
economic sector as well as the concerned market at large. El Hanandeh (2015) in the article
entitled “Energy recovery alternatives for the sustainable management of olive oil industry
waste in Australia: life cycle assessment” attempts a discussion on the annual growth rate of the
olive oil industry. The article discusses the highly polluting the solid waste as well as the

3ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
wastewater management that have been posing serious challenges in the maintenance of the
environmental sustainability within the agricultural industry of Australia.
Leung and Yang (2012) in the article “Wind energy development and its environmental
impact: a review” discusses the other factors that are related to the wind energy that are
environmental impacts of developments of the wind farms. The article has helped me learn about
the various environmental as well as the climatic impacts and the other factors that might result
from the development of the wind farms that are located offshore as well as the development in
the wind turbines. Lewandowska (2011) in the article entitled “Environmental life cycle
assessment as a tool for identification and assessment of environmental aspects in environmental
management systems (EMS) part 1: methodology” discusses the several possibilities that might
arise in identifying as well as assessing the various aspects related to the environment in the
management of the environmental systems. The article discusses the management of the
environmental systems in light of the requirements that were set by the international standard of
ISO 14001 and the EMAS regulations that have been set by the European Union. The article has
helped me to study the various factors that are related to assessing the various aspects related to
the environment in the management of the environmental systems.
On the contrary, Nguyen et al. (2014) in the article entitled “Modification of agricultural
waste/by-products for enhanced phosphate removal and recovery: potential and obstacles”
discusses the growth in the trends of the employment of the several by-products and the wastes
of the agricultural industry as the required substrates in developing the various phosphate
bisorbents. However, there is a severe lack in the sites of anion binding thereby rendering the
natural by-products and the wastes of the agricultural industry inefficient in the matters related to
the decontamination of the phosphates. The study, according to me, is essential in order to gather

4ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
knowledge on the matters that pertain to the various cost-effective ways that are required for the
modification of the by-products and the wastes of the agricultural industry. The study also
assisted me in gathering knowledge on the environment-friendly ways that might be
implemented in the modification of the by-products and the wastes of the agricultural industry.
Notarnicola et al. (2017) in the article entitled “The role of life cycle assessment in
supporting sustainable agri-food systems: A review of the challenges” attempts a discussion on
the challenges faced in the assessment of the life cycle in the matters that favor the sustainable
systems related to the agriculture and food. The article has helped me to realize the interlinks that
exist within the matters of emission and the multi-functionality that is implemented in the
matters pertaining to the assessment multi-functionality depicted by the biological systems. The
article further sheds light on the linkage of the afore-mentioned concept to the assessment of the
impact on the life-cycle of the product.
Waters (2013) in the book entitled “Introduction to Environmental Management: for the
NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management” discusses the scope of the management of
the environment that surrounds us. The book discusses the overall broad approaches that should
be undertaken by the several governmental bodies for the improvement in the management of the
land as well as the water systems. The land and the water systems are largely associated with the
agricultural land. The book has helped me to gain knowledge on the advantage of the application
of the environmental management systems. The environmental management systems are
generally implemented to put forth an improvement in the outcomes of the agricultural practices
on the given environment. The book further discusses the various cost-effective ways that are
required for the modification of the by-products and the wastes of the agricultural industry. This

5ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
has also helped me in gathering knowledge on the environment-friendly ways that might be
implemented in the modification of the by-products and the wastes of the agricultural industry.
The environmental management systems are necessary in order to put forth an
achievement in the matters that pertain to the balancing of the economy, the environment as well
as the societal matters within the territories of a country (Saiglobal.com, 2018). The
sustainability in the developmental procedures might be achieved by demonstrating a balance
among the three afore-mentioned pillars on which the concept of sustainability rests. The ISO
14001-2016 aims at providing the several business organizations with frameworks that might
help in the protection of the environment. The main aim of this measure is to present the next
generation with a world wherein the sustainability is maintained in the various developmental
activities. This also helps in the protection of the environment that surrounds us. The
International Organization for Standardization (2006) further helps in the creation of the
awareness among the various members of the society in the matters that are related to the
importance of the protection of the environment as well as the various possible impacts of the
harmful by-products of the agricultural industry.
In lieu of the above discussion, it might be pointed out that the environmental
management systems are necessary in order to put forth an achievement in the matters that
pertain to the balancing of the economy, the environment as well as the societal matters within
the territories of a country. The environmental management systems are generally implemented
to put forth an improvement in the outcomes of the agricultural practices on the given
environment.

6ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
References
Cary, J., & Roberts, A. (2011). The limitations of environmental management systems in
Australian agriculture. Journal of Environmental Management, 92(3), 878-885.
Collins, A. L., Zhang, Y. S., Winter, M., Inman, A., Jones, J. I., Johnes, P. J., Cleasby, W.,
Vrain, E., Lovett, A. & Noble, L. (2016). Tackling agricultural diffuse pollution: What
might uptake of farmer-preferred measures deliver for emissions to water and
air?. Science of the Total Environment, 547, 269-281.
Daddi, T., Testa, F., Frey, M., & Iraldo, F. (2016). Exploring the link between institutional
pressures and environmental management systems effectiveness: an empirical
study. Journal of environmental management, 183, 647-656.
de Oliveira, J. A., Silva, D. A. L., Guardia, M., do Nascimento Gambi, L., de Oliveira, O. J., &
Ometto, A. R. (2017). How can Cleaner Production practices contribute to meet ISO
14001 requirements? Critical analysis from a survey with industrial companies. Clean
Technologies and Environmental Policy, 19(6), 1761-1774.
El Hanandeh, A. (2015). Energy recovery alternatives for the sustainable management of olive
oil industry waste in Australia: life cycle assessment. Journal of Cleaner Production, 91,
78-88.
International Organization for Standardization. (2006). Environmental Management: Life Cycle
Assessment; Principles and Framework (No. 2006). ISO.
Leung, D. Y., & Yang, Y. (2012). Wind energy development and its environmental impact: a
review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16(1), 1031-1039.

7ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Lewandowska, A. (2011). Environmental life cycle assessment as a tool for identification and
assessment of environmental aspects in environmental management systems (EMS) part
1: methodology. The international journal of life cycle assessment, 16(2), 178-186.
Nguyen, T. A. H., Ngo, H. H., Guo, W. S., Zhang, J., Liang, S., Lee, D. J., Nguyen, P.D. & Bui,
X. T. (2014). Modification of agricultural waste/by-products for enhanced phosphate
removal and recovery: potential and obstacles. Bioresource technology, 169, 750-762.
Notarnicola, B., Sala, S., Anton, A., McLaren, S. J., Saouter, E., & Sonesson, U. (2017). The role
of life cycle assessment in supporting sustainable agri-food systems: A review of the
challenges. Journal of Cleaner Production, 140, 399-409.
Saiglobal.com. (2018). Environmental Management systems - Requirement with guidance for
use. Retrieved 17 September 2018 from
https://infostore.saiglobal.com/preview/as/as10000/14000/14004-2018.pdf?sku=1966135
Waters, B. (2013). Introduction to Environmental Management: for the NEBOSH Certificate in
Environmental Management. Routledge.