• Agribusiness & Markets
  • Agribusiness
  • Agricultural Economics
• Animal Health
  • Chemicals
  • Diseases
  • Parasites
• Animal Welfare
  • Department's role in Animal Welfare
  • Reporting Animal Cruelty
  • Useful Links
  • Your Responsibilities
• Crops
  • Barley production in Western Australia
  • Bridging the Yield Gap in higher rainfall environments
  • Canola and Oilseeds
  • Engineering
  • GM Crops
  • Lupins and Pulses
  • Nutrition
  • Oats
  • Speciality Crops
  • Storage
  • Wheat
• Environment & Climate
  • Climate Change
  • Climate weather and crops
  • Land Use Sustainability
  • Rangeland Management
  • Regional Resources and Support
  • Resource Planning and Management
  • Salinity
  • Salinity Case studies
  • Soil Land & Water Regulations
  • Soil and Landscapes
  • Sustainability
  • Vegetation
  • Water
• Farm Systems
  • Drought Reform Pilot 2011-12
  • Organic Farming
  • Seasonal Update
  • Sensitive Sites
  • Small Landholder Information Service (SLIS)
• Food
• Gardens & Households
• Horticulture
  • Engineering
  • Floriculture + Nursery
  • Fruit and Nuts
  • Vegetables
  • Viticulture
• Invasive Species
  • Invertebrate Pests
  • Vertebrate Animal Pests
• Livestock
  • Agribusiness Livestock and Sheep Updates
  • Beef Cattle
  • Dairy Cattle
  • Engineering
  • Fertiliser Action Plan
  • Goats
  • Honey Bees
  • Livestock identification and brands
  • Other Livestock
  • Pork Group
  • Poultry
  • Sheep and Lambs
• Pastures
  • Annual pastures management
  • Annual pastures species
  • Australian Trifolium Genetic Resource Centre
  • Forage crops / Fodder conservation
  • Perennial pastures
  • Saltland pastures
• Plant Health
  • Chemicals
  • Parasites and Nematodes
  • Post-border biosecurity
• Quarantine WA
  • Export requirements
  • Freight and cargo
  • Import requirements
  • Intrastate requirements
• Weeds
  • Declared plants in Western Australia
  • Herbicides
  • Integrated Weed Management
  • Major Weeds
  • Research Projects
  • Weed Publications and Links
  • Weed Watcher

Farming for the Future

Farming for the Future is about promoting sustainable agricultural production in Western Australia. It is working closely with industry and researchers to define sustainable farm-level agricultural practices and with industry groups to encourage the adoption of sustainable farm practices. Farming for the Future also works with marketers and processors to ensure this effort is meeting market requirements.

• Why do we need to demonstrate our sustainability?
• What is a sustainable farm business?
• How are we recognising sustainable farm businesses?
• How can you get involved?
• Contact us

Why do we need to demonstrate our sustainability?

International markets and local consumers want to be confident that their goods have been produced in a sustainable manner. Farming for the Future aims to provide a coordinated approach for Western Australian producers to meet this demand by helping industries become more sustainable. Farming for the Future is also in part a response to the State Sustainability Strategy.

Find out more by downloading Introduction to Farming for the Future [PDF 812KB] Farming for the Future Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) [PDF 2.1MB]

Top

What is a sustainable farm business?

A sustainable farm business is described by Farming for the Future as a business that shows responsibility for the sustainability of its natural, social and financial resources.

The sustainable farm practices promoted by Farming for the Future cover the following business activities:

Farm Economic & Social Sustainability
Business planning	Economic stability	Skills development
People management	Occupational health and safety	Quality of life
Heritage and culture
Natural Resource Sustainability
Native vegetation & wildlife protection & enhancement	Soil & land management	Fertility management
Salinity management	Acidity management	Surface & groundwater management
Water use efficiency	Waste management	Chemical & fuel management
Energy management	Air quality	Production risk management
Biosecurity
Animal health & welfare	Livestock identification & traceability	Weed risk management
Insect pest management	Plant & animal disease risk management	Feral & pest animal management
Food safety

To find out more about these elements you can download the Farming for the Future Self-Assessment Tool

Top

How are we recognising sustainable farm businesses?

Farming for the Future is supporting individual producers and industries to adopt the current recommended practices that have been identified or developed through a strategic consultation process.

Producers can be recognised as sustainable by participating in a recognised industry-based program. These range from environmental management and quality assurance systems to self-assessment tools or participation in industry programs. Many of these programs are compatible with international programs.

How can you get involved?

There are two ways:

1. If you are in an industry program, internally or externally audited, then speak with the Farming for the Future team or program coordinator about becoming recognised by Farming for the Future.
2. If you are not part of these programs or in an industry where these programs do not exist, then you can complete a Farming for the Future Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) as a part of your usual business planning process. This can then be returned to Farming for the Future to receive recognition.

Top

See also

• Production and environmental legislation : a guide for primary producers : July 2007
  A brief overview of legislation affecting agricultural land management in Western Australia. The legislation listed is State legislation unless otherwise noted. Landholders may use the guide to gain a general understanding of their legal obligations to manage the environment and as a starting point from which to develop a legal register for an Environmental Management System.
• Farming for the Future: Industry Practice Baselines

Top

Page updated: 23 November 2010

Content ID 6818