Reproduced from the
VCAA Bulletin, November 2010, Supplement 2.
General questions
1. The study design includes references to economic, social and environmental sustainability. Where is more information about strategies that could contribute to more sustainable approaches in agriculture and horticulture to be found?
The concepts behind more sustainable approaches include stewardship of natural and human resources, and systems perspectives that emphasise the interconnected nature of individual farm or agricultural and horticultural businesses, local ecosystems, and communities affected by a farming system both locally and globally. Taken into consideration are the consequences of farming practices on human communities and the environment.
Sustainable approaches are those that are the least toxic and least energy intensive, and yet maintain productivity and profitability. These approaches provide tools to explore the interconnections between agricultural and horticultural business and other aspects of the environment. Additionally an interdisciplinary approach that considers the input of researchers, agriculturists and horticulturists, employees of agricultural and horticultural and related businesses, consumers and policy makers is needed.
A table of sustainability strategies for agricultural and horticultural businesses is available on the VCE study page for Agricultural and Horticultural Studies.
Units 3 and 4
2. Unit 3 Outcome 1 includes a key skill about biosecurity plans. Where can information about biosecurity be found? What is a biosecurity plan?
Information about biosecurity can be found on the
Agriculture Victoria's website and on the
Farm Biosecurity website.
Businesses are expected to develop biosecurity plans that would include identifying the pests and weeds of potential concern and the intended approach used to prevent and/or control the pest, weed or disease. This would include reference to integrated management approaches.
Individual landholders are encouraged to develop their own biosecurity plan which involves the following steps:
- Understanding the pest/disease/weed issue. Consider:
- Why are the plants or animals a problem?
- What factors influence the presence of the pest?
- What problems/damage are they causing and where?
- What are the available control methods?
- Develop a draft pest management plan based on integrated management methods.
- Consult pest/weed/disease management experts, and those who will be affected by the plan, for their input, ideas and opinions.
- Finalise and implement the plan and coordinate any actions outlined in the plan within the timeline and budget.
- Monitor actions checking that actions have been implemented. Measure the effectiveness of control methods and review the timing of control programs.
- Evaluate and review the overall result by checking that the plan’s objectives have been met by considering:
- Were the actions implemented? If not, why?
- Were the desired results achieved from the activities implemented? If not, why?
- What were the actual costs?
- What were the positive or negative changes (if any), including changes in the pest population and impacts, as a result of the plan?
3. Unit 3 Area of Study 2 focuses on technologies that have been adopted by only a small number of agricultural and/or horticultural businesses. What are some good resources that provide information on new and emerging technologies?
The definitions of new and emerging technologies are located on page 22 in the study design.
The AgriFutures Australia site is probably one of the most comprehensive and useful:
www.agrifutures.com.au
The Australian Government’s Rural Research and Development Corporations site is:
www.ruralrdc.com.au
The CSIRO website includes a section on research including farming and food production, animal and plants, enviroment and future science platforms.
www.csiro.au/en/research
4. Unit 4 Outcome 3 includes a key knowledge point about ‘strategies for improving sustainability of a business’ and a key skill about the ‘ecological impact of the product produced by the business’. What resources are available to support the teaching of this aspect of the study?
There is useful information about ecological impacts of product development on the Global Footprint Network site:
www.footprintnetwork.org/faq
The FarmGAS Calculator was developed by the Australian Farm Institute with funding support from the Natural Heritage Trust, administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and has been developed as part of the National Action Plan for Climate Change and Agriculture Program. Farmgas is a software program downloadable from the Australian Farm Institute site. You need to register for access to the FarmGas Calculator:
calculator.farminstitute.org.au