March 16, 2021
An alliance of farming and environmental groups has been formed with the aim of creating an independent system to assess land management.
The Land Management Alliance (LMA) is pooling the resources of AgForce Qld, the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF), Australian Land Management Group, Southern Queensland Landscapes, and the Lock the Gate Alliance.
AgForce CEO Michael Guerin said the group would bring “a sustainability approach” that considers every aspect of land management.
“Our new LMA has endorsed 10 key principles for the design and operation of a stewardship certification system – with particular focus on landholder participation and the credibility of the certification,” Mr Guerin said.
“We want to engage landholders in a broad-based, meaningful way via a stewardship system that is outcome rather than practice-based and rewards them for well-managed landscapes.”
Australian Land Management Group CEO Tony Gleeson said the group was proposing a voluntary, whole-of-farm, landscape-linked certification system that was not restricted to particular ecological features such as biodiversity or water quality.
“A system that is operated by an independent entity outside of government and industry, and whose standards and certification are provided on an open, competitive basis by accredited trainers and auditors,” Mr Gleeson said.
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The 10 Principles for a Land Stewardship Certification System
Stewardship system(s) should:
1. Positively influence the on-going management decisions of land managers.
2. Provide support for continuous improvement in environmental outcomes.
3. Be nationally applicable.
4. Have ecological integrity.
5. Have spatial integrity.
6. Have a positive benefit-cost ratio.
7. Be able to encompass multiple credence factors.
8. Be credible for all parties.
9. Be nationally and internationally recognised.
10. Be sufficiently flexible to deliver on varying additional requirements of governments, industry, and community partners.
