This document discusses Bega Cheese's Bega Environmental Management System (BEMS) which aims to help secure a sustainable future for dairy farmers in Australia. BEMS identifies priority natural resource management issues on farms and works with farmers to implement corrective actions and on-ground improvements. It focuses on achieving outcomes through management changes rather than just systems. BEMS has led to projects that protect waterways, improve effluent and irrigation management, and increase energy efficiency. The document outlines plans to expand BEMS to assess sustainability across additional areas and all of Bega Cheese's suppliers to set benchmarks and identify areas for future extension programs.

1. “Bega Cheese, helping our dairy farmers secure a sustainable future”
World Congress on Conservation Agriculture
Brisbane 26-29th September 2011

2. Our Mission
Bega Cheese – working together to deliver dairy
products to the world.
Our Vision
Bega Cheese’s vision is to be an Australia dairy industry
icon, valuing our heritage, people, customers and
community. Embracing challenge. Driving change.
Building for the future.

3. Bega Cheese Group

5. Bega Cheese - Group
• Bega brand, Melbourne Brand,
Chefs Choice Brand, contract pack
• No 1 Australian cheese brand
• Marketing and selling in over 50
countries
• In the top 5 dairy companies in
Australia
• In the top 2 Australian owned

6. Branded Bega &/or Bulk
FS/Retail Contract Cheddar
Petersburg
United Kingdom
Europe
United States of
America
Cyprus Japan
China
South Korea
Kuwait
Saudi
Bahrain India Taiwan
UAE Bangladesh
Jamaica Libya Oman
Jordon Myanmar Philippines
Guatemala Lebanon Thailand
Barbados Yemen Sri Lanka
Trinidad Malaysia Sarawak, Sabah
Tobago Brunei
Maldives Singapore Papua New
Seychelles Indonesia Guinea
Peru
Mauritius
Australia
Chile
New Zealand

7. Bega Cheese Consolidated Total Assets
Total Assets
$'000
450,000
400,000
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
-
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
Year ended 30 June

8. Established: 1899

9. Bega Cheese Group

10. Our Milk Supply
• Needs to grow
• Needs to grow
sustainably

11. Where we started
• Access to resources such as water and to
minimise legislative restrictions.
• Farmers needed to improve environmental
performance.
• Bega Cheese moved from support to leadership
to help secure our milk supply.
• Focused on the Bega Valley.

12. BEMS Developed
• The Bega Cheese Environmental Management System- BEMS
• The system identifies priority NRM issues and corrective
actions for improvement.
• The system can be adapted.
• Focused on outcomes and management change rather than
systems.
• BEMS is a voluntary program.
• Has been successful in on ground improvements.

13. Role of Incentive Programs
• Identify drivers
• Support where drivers are weak or non
existent
• Establish priorities
• Engage early adopters
• Sending market signals

14. BEMS Priority Areas for Improvement
• The priority NRM issues identified in the original BEMS Pilot were;
Native Veg
Effluent Irrigation Nutrient
& Soil MGT GHG’s
MGT MGT MGT Waterways
Water &
Chemicals Wastes Pests
Energy

15. BEMS Achievements to date
• $2.5 Million in Government incentive and program funds
• 90% engagement Bega Valley
• $6 Million cash & in kind contributed by farmers to on-ground works projects

16. BEMS Achievements
to date
• Effluent system upgrades
• Stream crossing
• Laneway upgrades
• Erosion sites remediated
• Soil tests & nutrient mapping

17. BEMS Achievements to date
• Fencing river frontage and wetlands
• Revegetation and protecting remnant vegetation
• Dairy shed energy audits
• Energy efficiency upgrades

18. BEMS success
John & Margarot Jessop – Cobargo NSW
No. BEMS projects – 5
Program outcomes
• Black Ck protected
• Effective reuse of effluent
• Riparian vegetation protected
• Sediment prevented
• Narira Ck stream crossing upgrade.
• Maximises feed utilisation
and the maintenance of ground
cover.
• Dairy energy audit

19. BEMS moving forward
• A successful model for on ground NRM improvement
– move from just NRM to broader Sustainability.
• Look beyond farm gate to customer requirements.
• Need to implement BEMS across all our supplier
regions and ultimately across all our suppliers.
• Set a benchmark to monitor progress and
improvement.

20. BEMS Sustainability Assessment
Soils Pests and Weeds
Management practices assessed against Soil Monitoring
Erosion
Pest Weeds
Pest Animals
industry BMP’s for 14 sustainability Soil Structure
Salinity Sodicity Na
areas Acidity Na
Fertilisers Chemicals
Nutrient Budget Training and safety
Nutrient Application Application & use
Avoiding Nutrient Losses Storage & management
Example of a sustainability report for Effluent Management
General Effluent Management
Farm Wastes
General rubbish
Effluent Pond Systems Waste milk
1 Bega farm Application system Dead stock
Feedpads Na
Stock traffic areas
On farm management practices can be Irrigation
Management
People Management
Economic viability
assessed at the individual farm level as Application Working Conditions
well as at the sub-catchment and Co2 Emissions OHS & EC MGT
regional level. Monitoring Emissions
Reducing methane emissions
OH & S
People EC Mgt
Key Reducing nitrate emissions Herd EC Mgt
Reducing carbon emissions Emergency recovery
At Industry Standard or above Adaptation strategies
Within 25% of Industry Standard
Below industry standard practice Native veg & waterways Animal Health
Whole farm planning General Stock Management
Riparian frontages Dairy Herd Health
Remnant vegetation
Revegetation
Threatened species
Energy & Water Animal Welfare
Energy use Calf Management
Energy capture Bobby Calves
Water Dairy Herd Welfare

21. What do we hope to achieve
• The BEMS Sustainability Assessment will:
• Continue to focus on outcomes
• Establish benchmarks
• Define gaps for extension programs and future
incentive programs
• Develop partnerships.

22. In summary
Productivity
NRM improvement Customer
expectations
Access to BEMS
resources Broader
sustainability
issues
Market driven?