Environmental management systems - a problem or opportunity for the poultry industry

摘要

Interest in the use of EMSs as an option to increase producer flexibility in identifying and addressing environmental issues and needs in their operations is growing. There are a number of existing voluntary programs that can be used to support EMSdevelopment. Policies within U.S.EPA and the Council on Environmental Quality are supportive of expanding the use of EMSs. The proposed CAFO rules may provide opportunities for States to incorporate EMS type programs into their CAFO policies and it may be possible to coordinate EMS use with the Conservation Security Program hi the new farm bill. There are several agricultural EMS pilot projects underway. Feedback from these existing efforts seems to indicate that: the EMS process can assist in improvingfarm management; the general perception seems to be that the process is too complex; there are not clear incentives to motivate producers to use this approach; the benefits of developing a certified EMS are not well documented. Results of these pilot efforts and the nature of future policies will have a major impact on the role of EMSs in agriculture.