Agriculture Backpack

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Why Sustainable agriculture Is Important For Rising Global Population

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Sustainable agricultural practices are essential to feeding a growing and voracious global population.

Farmers throughout Australia clearly recognise the need for sustainable agriculture. In short, sustainable farms lead to a sustainable business that can be handed down through generations.

There is a strong argument for an industry-based environmental stewardship system that recognises sustainable agriculture practices.

While environmental groups, producer bodies and regional groups in Australia have filled the gap, an umbrella environmental stewardship program would be beneficial.

The industry is in the process of developing a stewardship management system for producers, to allow more effective management and reporting on sustainable agricultural practices.

This system will address five crucial areas: greenhouse gas and energy management; land use and management; soil and water; biodiversity; and feral animals and weeds.

Australian red meat producers actively undertake measures at each stage of production to increase their efficiency, cut greenhouse gas emissions and manage other environmental impacts to help preserve our natural resources.

The domestic red meat industry invests more than $7.5 million each year in research and development (R&D) to find ways to make constant improvements to its environmental performance.

This includes collaborating with other livestock industries and governments in R&D to find practical ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while increasing productivity. Since 1990, emissions from red meat production have decreased by 6.5% per kilogram of product.

Through holistic management of their properties, Australian farmers nurture not only their livestock but the soil, trees, micro-organisms, native animals and vegetation that make up their production system. Not only is this important for sustainable farms but it is important for Australia’s quest to cut overall emissions.

A worldwide analysis of the effects of land management on soil carbon showed there is on average about 8% more soil carbon under well-managed pasture than under native forests.

While sustainable farming practices make good business sense, consumers are also increasingly seeking more information about the sustainability profile of their red meat.

The Australian red meat industry is actively engaged with the Sustainable Agricultural Initiative (SAI) Platform – a unique initiative set up in Europe five years ago by leading food companies with a conviction that a common food and agricultural industry platform can promote sustainable agriculture at a global level.

The SAI Platform is an independent association operating across the agriculture, food and fibre chain and aims to change practices to improve agriculture sustainability outcomes.

The Platform’s business approach is known as the -PPPs’ where three dimensions are considered – people, profit and the planet.

Australian agriculture is in a strong position to meet the growing global demand for food. As an agricultural nation with a strong focus on exports, Australia’s farmers are committed to sustainable agricultural systems.

To continue to harvest the long-term economic benefits of food production, Australia’s farmers need to continue to innovate and invest in sustainable agriculture.

Sustainable agricultural practices should be employed for all Australian farming. Learn more at redmeatgreenfacts.com.au

eGov KE Srinagar – Renu Budhiraja, Sr. Director and Head of SDC, Department of Electronics and Info

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India Increasing Use Of Organic Farming

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Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar believes that Indias rapidly expanding production of organic agricultural goods can play a critical role in the future of the countys organic food trade.

Organic agriculture in India has made good progress during the last six years, Pawar stated while speaking in front of the parliamentary consultative committee for his ministry on Wednesday. With a combined effect of farmers efforts, NGOs work, government interventions and market forces, Indian organic agriculture has reached a stage where it can play a significant role not only in the growing domestic market, but also in global organic food trade.

Pawar said his ministry is promoting and spreading organic farming throughout the country with a variety of state-funded projects like the National Horticulture Mission, the National Project on Organic Farming, the Technology Mission for the Northeast and Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

In India, as against 42,000 hectares under certified organic farming during the 2003-04, initial estimates for 2009-10 indicate organic agriculture under certification has grown to 1.05 million hectares. Out of this, nearly 750,000 hectares are fully certified while the remaining 300,000 hectares are under various stages of conversion.

Pawar believes that organic farming is an ideal option for raid-fed, marginal land, and hilly areas and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has initiated an All India Network Project on organic farming to scientifically test and prove the most effective methodologies in organic farming.

Promotion of organic farming will not only ensure increased availability of organic and biological sources of nutrients, but will also provide technologies and information which help other forms of agriculture in restoring soil health and conservation of resources, the minister said.

In addition to national initiatives in the organic farming field, a collection of state governments have also initiated their own organic farming promotion programs. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand have drafted policies for the promotion of organic farming and, of those, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand have declared that they wish to go 100 percent organic in the future.

Edi Australian red meat and the environment – sustainable agriculture

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As custodians of nearly 50 per cent of Australia’s land mass, the Australian red meat and livestock industry recognises its responsibility to agricultural sustainability – sustainably managing the environment for all Australians while providing a nutritious, quality food product.

A focus on sustainable agriculture is a priority for the Australian livestock industry, with improved environmental practices having benefits for not only the environment, but also productivity. At every stage of the process from the paddock to the plate, there are opportunities for continuous improvement in environmental management and sustainable agriculture practices.

The red meat industry invests over $13 million annually in research and development to better understand the environmental impact and to further improve the environmental performance of the industry and sustainable farming.

The industry has initiated research and development into sustainable production to reduce emissions and water use, improve biodiversity, create energy efficiencies, minimise waste and implement environmentally sustainable land management practices.

In Australia, cattle and sheep are mostly grazed on large areas of semi-arid and arid rangelands.

As with all primary food production the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices is essential in ensuring that Australia is able to feed a growing population with minimal environmental impact.

Sustainable agriculture – The Australian livestock industry

Agricultural sustainability in the Australian livestock industry is best understood in the context of: – Environmental sustainability – Economic sustainability, and – The sustainability of regional communities

Ensuring the industry employs sustainable farming practices has benefits for not only producers, processors and the supply chain but for the regional and rural communities that rely on the employment and economic stimulation of the livestock industry.

To ensure economic sustainability, farmers need to sustainably manage the environment. After all, it’s the soil, grass and water on farmers’ properties that enables them to graze cattle and sheep.

Improving environmental sustainability

Over the past 10 to 15 years the livestock industry has been focused on improving its environmental sustainability. Farmers have been managing the twin challenges of environment sustainability, at the same time as striving to increase productivity in the context of a highly variable climate.

The red meat industry acknowledges that prior to this time that many practices had a negative impact on natural resources across the country. Early Australian agriculture tried to farm the country in a European manner, as a result, a range of government policies and on-farm practices led to environment degradation in some areas.

Today most farmers understand that to be sustainable they need to manage the environment in a sustainable way and employ sustainable agriculture practices.

The industry has invested significantly in research and development to ensure environmental sustainability, including: – Grazing strategies – Soil and groundcover management – Water management – Reducing emissions – Revegetating

The livestock industry is proud of the improvement it has made in sustainably managing natural resources. Right across the country the improvement in soil health, groundcover, vegetation and biodiversity can be seen on farms.

agriculture sustainability is an important topic to consider for all farms in australia. Find out more at www.redmeatgreenfacts.com.au

Sustainable Agriculture – Is It In Your Future

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With the current buzz regarding sustainability, here’s the big query: Sustainable agriculture — Is it in your future?

These are tumultuous times. World warming and environmental degradation are serious threats to the long run of our world. This economic state of affairs is somewhat bleak and recovery is slow. Worry of the future is ever gift in several minds. The matter is that whether or not we have a tendency to acknowledge the environmental seriousness, the monetary concerns and therefore the reservation we have a tendency to feel hold us back from creating significant movement toward positive change. On the other hand, to try and do nothing spells bound disaster in our future.

Sustainability has many definitions depending upon who is defining it! I outline it as agricultural practices which consider, address, and improve the environmental, social, and economic aspects of the operation. It’s like a 3 legged stool. There should be three legs of the identical length and in some cheap configuration in order to possess balance and stability. To neglect one leg or to place it in the wrong place means the business is possible to collapse.

Keeping that balance has several benefits. If anyone ought to be an environmentalist, it should be the farmer. If farmers use the land and water without regard to the results of management, it means that that those resources can doubtless become degraded and/or depleted. It’s like using a car to induce to figure, however never checking the tires, changing the oil nor putting gas in it. It will not be long before you’re looking at alternative transportation. On the other hand, being proactive, considering the consequences, monitoring, and planning ahead can get you there more quickly and with reliability!

Here are ten basic steps to include sustainability into your farm operation:

1. Assess your current scenario

2. Outline specifically what it is that you’re managing

3. Confirm what resources you have offered

4. Write down what you wish to achieve — obtaining to your core principles

5. Arrange your strategy to deal with the setting, finances, and social aspects

6. Check your choices and actions

7. Monitor your progress — think about that you could are wrong

8. Retreat to not off course if you’re off course

9. Completely re-plan when necessary

10. Revisit your goal and your set up

The clock is ticking, however there is still time to form a difference. Each epic journey starts with one small step,and then another. Agriculture is the foundation of civilizations. If agriculture fails, thus does everything else. What are some steps you can take to move toward additional sustainable agriculture? Is it in your future?

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