3 Sustainability
3.1 WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
The sustainability of management practices is not straightforward to describe or measure. The concept of sustainability is very open to an interpretation that depends on the viewpoints and objectives of groups and individuals. When identifying a "sustainable" practice it is very important to state what it is that is being sustained. For example, sustainability is often viewed as being associated with environmental issues only. However, sustainability is an holistic concept which should take into account economic and social considerations as well as environmental effects. Because it is difficult to identify when a practice can be termed ‘sustainable’, indicators of sustainability are only useful when evaluating alternative operational or management practices.
The World Commission on the Environment and Development has defined sustainable development as:
"Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." (World Commission of Environment and Development, 1987)
For any practical situation, what is meant by sustainability must be defined by a series of goals which describe what is being sustained. An important component of sustainability is determining indicators of performance relating to a set of goals. Goals identified in this project were approved at a workshop involving groups such as farmers, local authorities, and monitoring and agricultural experts. Farmers identified that their overriding goal is to maximise net profit in the long term, and that any goals identified should be relevant to achieving this.
3.2 HOW IS NEW ZEALAND SEEKING SUSTAINABILITY?
The most definitive statement on sustainable management in New Zealand is contained in the Resource Management Act (RMA) (1991). The purpose of the RMA is to ‘promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources’. Policies and research conducted by MAF and MfE are based on the RMA concept of sustainable management.
The RMA identifies sustainability goals at a national level:
"‘Sustainable management’ means managing the use, development, and protection of natural and physical resources in a way, or at a rate, which enables people and communities to provide for their social, economic, and cultural well-being and for their health and safety while -
- Sustaining the potential of natural and physical resources (excluding minerals) to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of future generations; and
- Safeguarding the life-supporting capacity of air, water, soil, and ecosystems; and
- Avoiding, remedying, or mitigating any adverse effects of activities on the environment."
3.3 SUSTAINABILITY GOALS FOR IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE
In the context of the sustainability of irrigated agriculture, the following ‘sustainability goals’ have been identified as being the key components of a sustainable agricultural system. These goals can be conflicting. A management practice such as applying fertiliser might help maintain soil productivity but cause adverse effects on groundwater. Achieving sustainable management included the need to obtain a balance between conflicting goals. It is recognised that maximising long-term net profit is the overall goal for farmers, but that this goal cannot continue to be met with the exclusion of the other economic, environmental and social goals identified.
The sustainability goals listed below have been identified as relevant to irrigated agriculture. Irrigation has many far-reaching effects on the environment that may not be apparent at first, so it is important that from the beginning, the effects on the whole system should be addressed. It is therefore necessary to consider the relationship between these goals; considering any one goal in isolation will lead to an overall system that does not meet the overriding principle of sustainable management.
| Overall goal |
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| Economic goals |
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| Environmental goals |
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| Social goals |
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