CSA Releases Environmental Management Systems Standard for Canadian Hog Operations
CANADA - Farm-Scape: Episode 1482. Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.Farm-Scape is sponsored by
Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork Play Audio Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork. |
Farm-Scape, Episode 1482
The Canadian Standards Association has published the first ever environmental management systems standard for Canadian hog operations.
The Canadian Standards Association began the development of an environmental management systems standard for Canadian hog operations about five years ago at the request of the Canadian Pork Council.
The project was overseen by a CSA Technical Committee made up of representatives of the pork industry, federal and provincial governments, environmental groups and consumers.
CSA Standards Development Director John Walter says the voluntary standard provides a framework for implementing systems to promote responsible environmental management.
"It is used by those organizations, companies that want to use it.
It has not been legislated by any of the provincial or federal jurisdictions.
It is open to every hog operation, small, medium, large, in Canada.
This is the first environmental management system that we're aware of for hog operations.
It is meant as a tool and it is meant to enhance the environmental performance of hog operations.
The standard requires that an organization, a company commit to continual improvement.
There is a focus from this standard on identifying the potential adverse impacts on the environment.
That's the first thing, identify what can happen in a hog operation, minimizing those impacts and in the event that something does happen obviously managing any potential adverse consequences."
The new standard was published last month and can be accessed through the Canadian Standards association web site at www.csa.ca.
A companion 'implementation guide,' which will further assist operators, will be released in a few months.
For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.