Implementing EMSs

This article discusses the implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) in Australia's agricultural sector to manage environmental impacts. It highlights the challenges faced in natural resource and environmental management, the impact of agricultural production on the environment, and the use of the life cycle assessment tool to reduce environmental emissions. The article also suggests various practices that can be used to implement EMSs, such as proper housekeeping, substitution of inputs, modification of technology, modification of the product, and recycling and reuse. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of adopting a long-term program to implement EMSs in Australia.

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IMPLICATION 1
Implementing EMSs
Institution
Student’s name

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Environmental systems implementation.
The greatest challenges that Australia faces in natural resource and environmental
management includes degradation of aquatic ecosystems and terrestrial, raising of soil
erosion, lack of enough and enough water, atmospheric changes and other important climatic
changes, (Cary, & Roberts, 2011). In the Australian agricultural sector, production of grains is
the most important contributing around 65 percent of the economic growth. The
environmental impact, however, is rarely accounted for in this case, leading to the emission
of greenhouse gases such as methane and other nitrous oxides. This gases normally are
emitted through the application of chemical and farm mechanisms during farming. It is due to
this emission that the Australian agricultural industry is experiencing a lot of impacts like the
raising heat similar mortality and the spread of infectious diseases, rising in the sea levels,
possibilities of losses in biological diversity, impact in crop yields likewise productivity and
reduced snow cover.
Even though the production of agricultural products is much effective in ensuring that
there is enough food in the county, the focus has shifted from ensuring that there is enough
food produced to base on how this food is produced, (Collins, et al.2016). That is the method
used in food production, the chemical used and their effects on the environment. After the
second world two, the perception of the consumer has totally changed concerning the
agricultural production due to the use of the chemical such as pesticides. The increased
production is a major contributor to the environmental impacts and therefore calling for the
environmental management mechanisms in order to help in managing the environment.
The environmental management system can be defined as a method of ensuring that
the information is passed across the organization used in decision making by the
management. Hence, (Daddi,et al.2016) environmental management systems are the systematic

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method to dealing with the aspects of the business environmental management likewise
giving the right information that can help in ensuring that those effects are solved in a more
effective manner. The purpose of environmental management systems is to ensure
measurable performance.
In ensuring the implementation of the environmental management system, the life
cycle assessment tool can be used to reduce the environmental emission from grain products
of Australia, (Notarnicola et al 2017). Lifecycle tool uses the approach of ‘cradle to grave' in
order to access the environmental effects of various categories of the supply chain, especially
for grain production. Secondly, the application of techniques used in cleaner production is a
technique used to improve the product lifecycle.
The supply chain of the grain industry involves several stages such as raw material
which are the input supplies, producers which are the farmers, marketers of the grain,
retailers, users and finally the waste management. All these steps contribute to the
environmental issues if not properly handled. Hence, a better understanding of this steps can
manage the environmental effects associated with the production of the grains. In Australia,
the major elements of the grain supply chain include, pre-farming, then there is on –farming,
storage and processing, retailing and consumption and finally, transportation, (Waters, 2013).
The national greenhouse gas inventory measures only the emissions and ignores the other
entire supply chain. Actually, in the year 2005, the greenhouse gas emission was the second
emitter coming after the energy generating sector of the stationary. If all stages of the supply
chain in the agricultural sector is considered, the contribution to the national emission in total,
then this will likely to be higher than what is displayed in the national inventory.
The life cycle assessment is a tool used to determine the consumption of the resources
and their environmental impacts related to the production of specific activity or products. It

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLIMENTATION 4
helps in calculations of greenhouse gases in a more inclusive and comprehensive manner. It
accounts for all the material and input of energy all at stages of the grain product lifecycle. It
provides a systematic analysis of the environmental profile of the grain system in total. It also
deals with the collection of information and synthesis on the material, energy input and
output in various stages of grain life cycle in terms of pollution, (Waters, 2013). The pre-farm
emission leads to environmental emissions from the use of pesticides, fertilizers and the use
of machines. On the firm emission include emissions from deiseal use nitrogenous emissions
and liming, and finally, post firm includes storage of the grains, production of starch, milling
of flour and other emissions from transportation, production, and management of waste.
After the identification of the environmental hot spots in the supply chain, cleaner
production tactics which are appropriate should be applied to those specified hot sports. This
concerns the repeated application or application of integrated preventive tactics to products,
services, and processes in order to increase the effectiveness and to prevent or reduce the
environmental negative impacts caused by human actions. Implementation of the
environmental management can be achieved by using the following practices:
Proper housekeeping
Includes management practices taking place on the firm and the machine maintenance
will help in the reduction of overall agricultural input consumption, application, and
production which can lead to harmful environmental emissions, (Notarnicola et al 2017). For
instance, mapping and monitoring techniques can be applied in precision agriculture to
supply the standard fertilizer amount, water or even chemicals to crops in order to reduce the
energy and chemical use. Application of targeted root zone and the use of drip irrigation can
be used to reduce the use of water. Again, adoption of crop rotation can help maintain
nitrogen and organic material availability in the soil hence preventing the overuse of

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chemical fertilizers. Nitrate leaching can be reduced by use of fixing leguminous plants. Pests
can be controlled by use of integrated pest management, which is the acceptable method by
judicious application of pesticides.
Substitution of inputs.
This includes the use of alternative materials, for instance, substituting the use of
chemicals by use of more greener or organic materials in order to reduce the consumption of
energy and emissions on the environment. The research shows that the application of
earthworms can help reduce the consumption of chemicals in grain production. This is
because the toxic species of earthworm found in the Australian soil can help boost the soil
nutrients and their availability in the soil hence improving the quality and quantity of crop
production and pasture, (Nguyen, et al.2014). Minimization of CO2 emission caused during
pre-farming activities by use symbiosis. Renewable sources of energy and use of alternative
fuels can be produced through co-generation, biorefineries, and biofuel especially for firm
operation and for the purposes of transportation.
Modification of technology.
Improvement or modification of technology can be done in farm machine, fertilizers,
insecticides production and other inputs, manufacturing, and transportation processes of
products. This will help in saving costs, reduced the use of fuel, fertilizers, and pesticides in
addition to the environmental benefits.
Modification of the product
This includes the coming up of the product category or the product type that needs
few processing materials and transportation steps to the final uses, (Lewandowska, 2011). For
instance, processing grains on site can minimize the emission of green gas from the sector of

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transportation. The consumption of plants which are genetically engineered can aid in
increasing crop yield and reduce the application of pesticides.
Recycling and reuse.
This can involve recycling water and nutrients, especially on the firm activities.
Packaging materials which are environmentally friendly should be reused in the post farm
activities. Biodegradable polymers can help reduce the various environmental impacts
concerning the conventional polymers, (Leung, & Yang, 2012). Irrigation activity can also be
supplemented by reusing wastewater. This is done by combating of salinity hence reducing
the changes in the climate.
In the implementation process of environmental management systems, it is important
to understand the stages of the life cycle assessment. Determining or identifying the scope
and the goal. This includes determining the clear purpose of LCA and the results expected to
be achieved in the end, likewise creating boundaries and assumptions based on the goal
definition, (El Hanandeh, 2015). Secondly, the inventory lifecycle validates the input of raw
materials and the energy related to stages of production. Analysis of the implementation is
the third stage which helps to assess the impacts caused by energy and inputs or raw materials
on human health. The final stage is the analysis of the improvement. This is related to
opportunities for energy reduction, the input of raw materials and reduction of environmental
impact at every stage.
Of Couse, there are other several approaches to implementing environmental
management systems. For instance, (de Oliveira, et al. 2017) the use of ISO 14000 which is
aimed at ensuring there is continuous improvement in implementing the environmental
management system, there is Audit and Eco-management which is anion regulation, linking
the environment and farming by the use of self-audit and action plan programs, best

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management industrial practises which is mainly used in cotton industry to ensure that the
self-regulation or to ensure strict rules and regulations are followed to meet customers need,
code of practice which addresses the common environmental practices for heavy industries
through the setting of the performance standards, monitoring and reporting the progress
among others, (International Organization for Standardization. 2006). Farmers should also be
educated on the importance of taking in the consideration the environmental impacts and the
best alternative solutions that they can use to ensure they operate in a clean environment.
Conclusion.
It is important to adopt a long-term program in implementing the environmental
management system in Australia such as Organic standards which were developed by the
National Association of Sustainable Agriculture Australia in order to focus on improving the
organic agriculture without contaminating the environment, (Daddi, et.al 2016).

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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., & 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
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Lewandowska, A. (2011). Environmental life cycle assessment as a tool for identification and
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Nguyen, T. A. H., Ngo, H. H., Guo, W. S., Zhang, J., Liang, S., Lee, D. J., & Bui, X. T.
(2014). Modification of agricultural waste/by-products for enhanced phosphate
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Notarnicola, B., Sala, S., Anton, A., McLaren, S. J., Saouter, E., & Sonesson, U. (2017). The
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Waters, B. (2013). Introduction to Environmental Management: for the NEBOSH Certificate