Pre-Farm Gate Waste Program
Research overview
The Pre-Farm Gate Waste Program aims to align the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector with Australia’s National Waste Policy.
AgriFutures Australia’s investment in pre-farm gate waste research, supports the priority of identifying, understanding and responding to national challenges and opportunities impacting Australian rural industries. The program was designed to look outside current national initiatives to undertake actions to minimise:
- Organic: Animal and plant organic matter, such as manure from farms and intensive animal systems, harvest waste, pruning and other organic matter.
- Plastic: Protected cultivation films, nets, piping, irrigation/drainage, packaging and other.
- Workshop: Hard and soft plastics, for example those used in field production, glasshouses and workshops, and to store produce (e.g. silage).
Management of waste from primary industries is an emerging and complex issue which requires pressing attention. Agriculture, fisheries and forestry produce a large amount and diversity of waste, with waste disposal often involving environmentally harmful practices (such as burning, on-farm burying and dumping), landfill and the unproductive use of ‘end of first use’ resources.
With rural industries setting waste reduction targets and considering waste management in their sustainability frameworks means they can use this baseline data to track progress against targets. It is recommended users consider this data in conjunction with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry National Waste and Resource Recovery Roadmap.
Reports
Pre-farm gate waste management: Baseline waste data for the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector
Find out morePre-farm gate waste management: Guidelines for waste data collection
Find out moreOptions for improved waste management: Current practices and opportunities for improved pre-farm gate waste management in agriculture, fisheries and forestry
Find out moreDesigning optimal solutions for workshop waste
Find out moreNational Challenges and Opportunities
Real and tangible waste management actions that can be employed in agriculture
The Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector generated an estimated 9.8 million tonnes of pre-farm gate waste in 2020-21, the majority comprised of organic, plastic and workshop material.
4 min read
03.05.24
Rural Health Advocate Wins NSW/ACT AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award
Rebecca Keeley, founder of Yarn, an innovative health platform has been named the 2024 NSW/ACT AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award winner.
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EMERGING INDUSTRIES / 01.05.24
Pivotal moment for Moringa production in Australia and New Zealand
The world has witnessed a surge in interest surrounding superfood Moringa oleifera, a fast-growing, tree known for its extraordinary nutritional benefits.
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CHICKEN MEAT / 30.04.24
Litter project findings bed down pivotal industry investments
A major body of research investigating various aspects of sourcing, management, reuse and disposal is underpinning the successful utilisation of one of the Australian chicken meat industry’s largest operational investments — litter.
5 min read