It’s finally here! The EnviroVeg program has launched a new website to ensure technical resources and up-to-date information is readily available to levy-paying Australian vegetable growers. AUSVEG EnviroVeg Coordinator Danielle Park explains how the website can be used.

The new EnviroVeg website is aiming to increase awareness around the vegetable industry’s environmentally responsible practices. It focuses on the emerging sustainable production methods that are beginning to be adopted to continue to improve industry resilience.

The EnviroVeg program was established to improve the longevity of vegetable growing regions, benchmark industry environmental performance, and develop recognition for environmentally sustainable production methods and growers. This new website is a great resource to access if you would like more information about the program.

The EnviroVeg Program 2017-22 is a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.

Program changes

The program has recently undergone a significant review, and improvements have been sought and captured from vegetable growers from key growing regions around Australia.

Following the review that took place throughout 2019, a number of improvements have already occurred. One of the necessary improvements identified was a more user-friendly and accessible website.

Register to access the EnviroVeg Technical Manual

The website provides vegetable growers with access to EnviroVeg technical resources from across a wide range of aspects of vegetable production, which include:

Land and soil: This section addresses risks to soil health and structure, soil stability and soil degradation.

Biosecurity: This focuses on biosecurity at the property scale – it outlines the hazards and management practices that can guard against the entry, establishment and impact of exotic pests, pathogens or diseases.

Water: This considers each of the key aspects of water management in vegetable production systems, including water sources, water application/irrigation, irrigation water quality, produce washing water, wastewater and run-off, and the maintenance of healthy waterways.

Crop nutrition, fertiliser and soil additives: This addresses nutrient management in vegetable crops and the responsible storage and application of fertilisers and soil amendments.

Pests, weeds and diseases: This addresses the integrated and environmentally sustainable management of pests and diseases in vegetable production systems.

Chemicals: This addresses all chemicals potentially used in vegetable production including agricultural crop protection products, growth regulators, cleaning products, sanitisers, water treatment products, fuels and oils.

Air: This considers aspects of vegetable production that may result in air pollution – including dust, odour, smoke, noise and light.

Energy: This addresses energy sources, energy use, energy efficiency in vegetable production systems and the responsible storage and management of fuel and oil. It also includes opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in vegetable production.

Waste: This considers a broad range of waste materials that may be generated through vegetable production, including surplus/reject produce and other organic matter, paper and cardboard, timber, plastics, glass, metals, tyres, oils, liquids and gases.

Biodiversity: This focuses on the actions that can be taken by vegetable producers to protect native plants, animals and ecosystems and to enhance biodiversity – both on the property and in the wider landscape.

Business: This details procedures and key topics for making environmentally responsible, sustainable management decisions in vegetable production systems including community relationships, catchment priorities, local objectives, access to expertise and support, supply chain management, farm layout and farm plans.

Business management underpins all the other sections within the scope of EnviroVeg and can affect how practices are implemented on-farm.

Find out more

Please visit enviroveg.com.au.

For help with accessing the EnviroVeg self-assessment, please contact AUSVEG EnviroVeg Coordinator Danielle Park on 0432 324 822 or at danielle.park@ausveg.com.au.

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government.

Project Number: VG16063