Evaluating EMS Benefits in the Australian Agricultural Sector

This essay examines the benefits of implementing Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in the Australian agricultural sector. It highlights the increasing interest from both industry and government in evaluating EMS capacity, particularly in delivering environmental and marketplace results. The essay discusses EMS in relation to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Cleaner Production (CP), emphasizing the importance of commitment from all organizational levels and the integration of environmental management into business procedures. It further explores the role of international standards, the PDCA model, and the influence of institutional pressures on organizations adopting EMS. The essay also touches upon waste utilization in the olive oil industry and the potential of agricultural waste by-products as substrates for phosphate biosorbents. Ultimately, it concludes that the success of EMS in agriculture depends on how cultivators adapt to it and that governments must consider efficient options to stimulate sustainable development in EMS within the sector.

Running head: IMPLEMENTING EMS IN THE AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE SECTOR
IMPLEMENTING EMS IN THE AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE SECTOR
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1IMPLEMENTING EMS IN THE AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE SECTOR
Introduction
Environmental Management System (EMS) implementation in the agricultural sector of
Australia has been facilitated by industry as well as government co-investments. The elevating
interest by Australian Federal and state governments in order to evaluate the capacity that EMS
has been identified as the National EMS implementation plan. EMS will contribute to the
agricultural sector in relation to delivering environmental and marketplace results have resulted
in the national Framework for EMS in agriculture (Collins et al., 2016). The increasing
utilisation of EMS specifically in non agricultural sector across the world tends to vary with the
delay of EMS in order to establish a ground work in agricultural sector. Industry and
Government interest along with investments in EMS in agriculture signifies the quest by diverse
range of stakeholders for advanced approaches of focusing on environmental issues in
agriculture (Cary & Roberts, 2011). The research question of the essay is “what essential benefits
does EMS bring to the Environmental Sector of Australia?’
Discussion
EMS similar to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been designed and implemented in
wide ranging organisations with several forms of performance dimension technological advances
and other motivations for pro-ecological activities. Lewandowska has mentioned that
environmental in LCA used for evaluation of environmental aspects in EMS comprises both
benefits and limitations (Lewandowska, 2011). The extensive time consumption expense and
challenges of the evaluation has been identified as one of the critical areas in comparison to the
customary approaches used for life cycle assessment. It was further been observed that LCA
proficiently captures indirect factors and evaluate the critical impacts related to the environment
and the presence of a standardized methodology with relation to every phase of the valuation and

2IMPLEMENTING EMS IN THE AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE SECTOR
the opportunity of acquiring continuous and quantitative outcomes (Lewandowska, 2011).
However while delving into the article it can be observed that the author has efficiently taken
into consideration LCA as an effective tool that can be implemented for the recognition and
evaluation of environmental determinants in the context of EMS.
Certain disproportion assessed by the author is important to distinguish at this juncture
which have been found between input and output centric environmental factors existing in major
proportion of analysed registers. However it has been noted that the potential justifications for
such discrepancies lied on the output related environmental manageable aspects which are
directly regulated by legal actions are vital determinants in the environmental aspects evaluation
(Lewandowska, 2011). The achievement of an EMS primarily relies on commitment from all
levels and performance of the organisation which is fundamentally directed by top management.
However top management can efficiently focus on areas related to risks and potentials by
incorporating environmental management into the enterprises’ business procedures associated
with strategic direction and decision making procedures into the general management system.
The article based on EMS on Australian or New Zealand standard emphasizes on the
implementation of international standard to ensure interested associations are efficiently aligned
with EMS (Standard, 2004). However the implementation of international standard tend to vary
from one organisation to the other because of organisational perspective whereby two
organisations can execute similar performance but comprises varied compliance obligations
regulations in their environmental system and performance goals. The evaluation of (Plant Do
Check Act) PDCA model highlighted by the article is important to mention which provides a
highly iterative process utilised by enterprises in order to attain persistent development and can
further be applied to EMS (Standard, 2004). The comprehensive evaluation of the terms related

3IMPLEMENTING EMS IN THE AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE SECTOR
to performance assessment and improvement of EMS has facilitated my awareness related to the
context of the organisation. It is important to know that every organisation must establish both
external as well as internal challenges which are critical towards goal and further tends to impact
its potential to acquire the expired consequences of EMS. However such areas of challenges can
involve environmental conditions which are affected or can be capable of causing threats to the
organisations. Standard, (2004) has further shed light on the environmental policy where top
management must determine, use and sustain environmental regulation within the defined scope
of its EMS area, relevant to the purpose as well as the context of the organisation and further
offers an important framework for establishing any type of environmental objectives that
involves sincere commitment to the safeguard of the environment and relevant to the context of
the organisation (International Organization for Standardization, 2006).
de Oliveira et al., (2017)emphasized on organisations needs to implement transitions in
the process of production in order to increase the level of environmental performance and
activities that are required by their stakeholders. In order to facilitate this performance, the
relevance of Cleaner Production (CP) along with EMS based on ISO 14001 has been reflected.
In my perspective the article is when observed as it has provided have with details knowledge
that EMS and CP management speak proficiently designs in an integrated approach to enhance
the productivity of resources used and the efficacy of the outcomes (de Oliveira et al., 2017). The
increase of insights reveals that the dimension and business segment can further determine the
implementation of CP practices and the pursuit of ISO 14001.
Studies revealed by El Hanandeh, (2015) state that the olive oil industry in Australia has
been expected to acquire 25000 m³ various types of olive mills has been used in order to extort
the oil from the fruit. However the production generates extensively polluting solid waste as well

4IMPLEMENTING EMS IN THE AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE SECTOR
as waste water which impact the environmental sustainability of the industry (El Hanandeh,
2015). Extensively analysing the article I have developed the insight that waste utilisation in
order to manufacture pellets for domestic water heating can be identified as an alternative
approach to efficiently deliver the highest environmental gains.
Methodical exploration conducted by me on the paper of Collins et al., (2016) on
agricultural diffuse pollution has enhanced my understanding on the existing combined
regulatory and voluntary implementation relevant to the UK agricultural sector that has been
Incompetent to efficiently deliver essential environmental results for a diverse explanations
which includes failure to attain high adoption rates. Thus it has been considered to be highly
practical to distinguish certain on farm mitigation measures which can assist farmers to articulate
assertive attitudes for enhanced perspective uptake rates (Collins et al., 2016).. The article has
been successful in considering DTC program in England that aimed to focus on specific farming
practices to water and issues regarding air quality outcomes in order to provide an efficient
approach of delivering projections on the direction of change.
There can be witnessed an increasing development in recent times to execute Agricultural
Waste or By-Products AWB as the substrates for the rise of phosphate biosorbents. Nguyen’s
article on Bio Resources Technology reveals that the deficit of anion binding sites is typically
unproductive for phosphate distillation process (Nguyen et al., 2014). This area of concern has
enhanced my awareness of the importance of amendment procedure for enhancing phosphate
sorption’s possessions of raw AWBs. The paper has further mentioned that efficient change can
enhance phosphate eradication ability of AWBs by limiting phosphate ion onto developed AWBs
through electrostatic interaction (Nguyen et al., 2014).
Through Cary & Roberts, (2011) paper on environmental management it has been

5IMPLEMENTING EMS IN THE AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE SECTOR
observed that EMS are mechanisms which are used to sustain the environmental impacts and
pro-environmental behaviours of agricultural in order to evaluate the productivity of government
aided programs which facilities improved management system of land and water related with
agricultural land in Australia. It has been observed that environmental results can generate
greater degree of efficiency by directly investing land management practices which comprises
highest public net revenues. Cary & Roberts, (2011) has further mentioned that unambiguous
management goal for specific land management regulation has greater propensity to attain results
rather than comprising diverse goals in series of international programs in recent times.
Notarnicola in his article based on life cycle assessment considered life cycle thinking as
a fundamental Concept for ensuring change towards highly sustainable production as well as
consumption techniques. Through the comprehensive insights it can be observed that LCA is
highly relevant to evaluate agricultural patterns and food processing system along with
manufacturing performance (Notarnicola et al., 2017). However the article reveals the
importance of several methodological aspects related to LCA to guarantee sufficient facilitation
for decision making in both organisational and policy developmental contexts.
The analysis of the journal on environmental management by Daddi et al., (2016) focuses
on the significance of coercive, mimetic as well as normative forces in influencing advance as
well as competitive responses by organisations with an environmental approval. It has been
observed that the article has thoroughly emphasized on higher level of assertive impact of
mimetic as well as normative pressures rather than focusing on coercive ones. In recent times
wild energy forces universally identified as clean and environmentally sustainable energy
resource can facilitate reduction of human dependence on fossil fuels (Daddi et al., 2016).
Leung’s paper has facilitated my understanding regarding advanced technologies and

6IMPLEMENTING EMS IN THE AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE SECTOR
considerately economical expenses as essential energy source which can be crucial for
prospective environmental usage (Leung & Yang, 2012).. The paper has provided
comprehensive insights regarding the overview of World wind energy and the current scenario of
wind turbine development as well as the climatic effect of wind farms on the environmental
sector.
Conclusion
The attainment of EMS in agricultural sector primarily based on the way cultivators in
varied agricultural sectors adapt it. EMS in agriculture holds an extensive dedication, however
the precipitate perspective of EMS as an environmental management solution has been
cautioned. Thus to conclude it can be stated that in the formulation of agri-environmental policy
preferences, federal governments must take into consideration most efficient options in order to
stimulate diverse and persistent development in EMS in the agricultural sector.

7IMPLEMENTING EMS IN THE AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE SECTOR
References
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