WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE? 

Sustainable Agriculture is the managed growing and harvesting of crops and pastures minimizing the negative impact on the environment, improving soil health, increasing biological diversity, and controlling pests. Sustainable agriculture is dependant on a whole system approach having as its focus the long term health of the land. Sustainable Agriculture concentrates on long term solutions to problems instead of short term treatment of symptoms. The use of chemicals and similar inputs are reduced, the land develops biological diversity and resiliency that further reduces the need for agriculture chemicals.

WHAT IS BEST PRACTICE (IN GRAZING)?
  
Every primary producer has an aim to achieve industry Best-Practice,(worlds highest standards) the most effective and efficient method of achieving personal and business goals with the least risk possible to those involved. That is ensuring that all activity is designed to minimise risk and maximise the outcomes.
     

Grazing BestPrac and Grazing BMP has been established to assist graziers and farmers in sourcing information and support towards achieving Grazing Best-Practice or Best Management Practice (BMP). The industry has an important role to play in managing our key resources:

• Vegetation Health (pasture and trees), 

• Soil Health (Nutrients, microbes and structure), 

• Carbon Sequestration (soil and atmosphere), 

• Water Quality (rainfall, in soil and underground), 

• Nutrients (soil, plant and atmosphere),

• Food Security (meat, fruit, veges quality and quantity)

• Animal and crop health.

• People

• Technology  

As a grazier or farmer there is so many areas to manage within the grazing business, that the job is becoming impossible to manage. Grazing BestPrac provide a number of services to support the industries. The Grazing BMP website has the latest cutting edge information available and is regularly updated with new information, research and data as it becomes available. Please also check the CQ BestPrac website and the Best-practice Groups website for more information.

The standards for “Best-Practice” in grazing commonly called “grazing BMP” and in cropping commonly called “grains BMP” or “cropping BMP” are evolving month by month as new information and techniques become available. In the past 5 years, the industries in Australia have had many issues to deal with including vegetation management, water management, animal nutrition, soil and plant health, workplace health and safety, animal welfare and technology. In fact these industries have had more changes than any other industry within Australia and still very few standards have been established.

Industry BMP’s:

• The most advanced BMP is being managed by the cotton industry and is called mybmp and can be found at http://www.mybmp.com.au  . This is the most complete module with support.
     

• The second BMP to be established in agriculture is the grains BMP at http://www.grainsbmp.com.au    
  

• The third BMP and still being developed is the  Grazing BMP at http://www.bmpgrazing.com.au 

MINIMISING RISKS AND MAXIMISING BENEFITS

Click on the link above to download the Best Practice Survey to assist you in establishing a strategy to begin your new practices.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT   

If a man has cancer, does he have cancer because of a lack of chemotherapy in his body? Absolutely not!  So it is with plants. Does a plant have a disease because of a lack of pesticides or herbicides?  "Healthy plants" grow in soils that are vibrant and full of microbial life