2.0 Introduction
2.1 Project Purpose
The purpose of this project is to assess the role of on-farm quality assurance and environmental management systems (QA/EMS) in achieving sustainable agriculture and sustainable land management outcomes.
2.2 Context
Public perceptions of the impact of agriculture on the environment are increasingly placing pressures on farmers. Customers and consumers of land-based products from New Zealand are seeking assurances, not only of the quality of the products they purchase, but also of the quality of the production systems from which they are produced. Environmental protection policies in our overseas markets may also impact on imports from New Zealand in the form of non-tariff barriers to trade (Christie, 1994). Calls are continuing within New Zealand for "agriculture" to address the environmental effects of its production systems, particularly through the Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991 (Walker and Morriss 1996). Many farmers have a "stewardship" ethic which they express in their farming decisions (Parminter and Perkins, 1997). Within farm businesses too, farmers are concerned about whether both economic and biophysical value is being created or lost due to current methods of land management (Parminter et al 1993). After all, the land, and its ability to produce, is the farm's capital resource (Shadbolt, et al 1997). At the launch of Project 98 on 26 March 1996, Dr Tony O'Reilly (Heinz-Wattie) said "... it only remains for New Zealand to package these extraordinary advantages in sustainable food production systems in a way that will stand up to scientific scrutiny and which will capture the imagination of the global consumer".
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, in association with the Ministry for the Environment and TRADENZ, sought to test the hypothesis that there are linkages between QA/EM systems and the achievement of sustainable agriculture and sustainable land management outcomes. This report aims to provide a broad evaluation of the current and potential role of these systems in achieving sustainable agriculture and sustainable land management outcomes. It is intended that this evaluation will provide the basis from which future work programmes and project initiatives can be considered. It is also expected that the project will identify ongoing policy and research needs.
| © MAF 1999 | ||
| MAFnet Help | Important Disclaimer |
Contact for Enquiries
MAF Information Services
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND
Fax: +64 4 894 0721
Contact this person
