Moist soil beneath mulched (trash blanketed) cane

The 'Triple bottom line' (Австрали)

Тодорхойлолт

A new expression used by agriculturalists in Australia to explain why farmers change practices: the 'triple bottom line' implies economic, environmental and social concerns.

Aims / objectives: A fundamental change has occurred in farming practice amongst sugar cane growers in the tropics of far north Queensland. Where it was once standard practice to burn cane before harvest (defoliating green canes for easier harvest), tradition has been turned on its head and now almost no-one burns. Instead a 'green cane trash blanket' system has developed, with multiple benefits and few or no drawbacks. There has been no official campaign or punitive sanctions imposed, no enticing financial incentives offered or charismatic environmental leadership - just a quiet technological revolution, based on the principles of the 'triple bottom line' (TBL).

Methods: TBL has recently emerged into common usage amongst agriculturalists in Australia. Rather than attributing farmers' actions as simple responses to economic stimuli ('the bottom line') TBL is a framework that helps explain the complexity of factors that influence farmers to modify their practices. TBL suggests that farmers do indeed respond to money, but also to environmental concerns, and furthermore to social considerations as well. This gives credit to farmers for being responsible stewards of the land. In this particular case, the transition in technology started in 1974, when sugar cane growers in the far north of Queensland were simply unable to burn their cane prior to harvest because of the exceptionally heavy rains. Instead, they had to harvest wet - and green. The technical implications were first, a slower harvest speed because machinery had to cope with a greater load of biomass, and second, a thick residual blanket of trash that covered the soil. The multiple benefits of mulching were recognised by a few growers, who then continued to harvest green cane. Non-burning spread - a technology now described as the 'green cane trash blanket'- until almost every grower adopted it within one generation. While the extension service has supported the transition, growers themselves tookthe initiative to change. There are indeed small financial benefits, chiefly in terms of reduced overall input costs, but growers have simultaneously been motivated by social and environmental considerations. Burning has come to be considered anti-social: a dirty practice, carrying the danger of fire spreading outside the targeted fields. Neither is it a pleasant task, requiring help of family and friends, often at inconvenient times.

Other important information: From an environmental perspective, the benefits of trash mulch are tangible in terms of improved soil quality, and reduced erosion rates. And, equally important, the end result is reduced damage to the close-by Great Barrier Reef with its sediment-sensitive living coral.
The triple bottom line(TBL) is an expression which has evolved in Australia to help explain why farmers act as they do. Its three components of economics, the environment and social aspects cover the considerations that cause farmers to modify technologies. TBL implicitly gives credit to farmer for being sensitive to multiple external signals. In this case the change in practice is from burning sugar cane to harvesting it green in Far North Queensland. This is a case where emerging conservation-friendly farmer practice and the goals of the environmental lobby have neatly coincided.

Байршил

Байршил: Queensland, Австрали

Сонгосон байршлуудын газарзүйн холболт
  • 143.45, -13.66

Эхлэх огноо: 1974

Төгсөх жил: тодорхойгүй

Арга барилын төрөл
Moist soil beneath mulched (trash blanketed) cane
Automatic monitoring station measuring climatic parameters, runoff and nutrient flows to assess infield effects and downstream impacts on the Great Barrier Reef

Арга барилын зорилго ба эерэг нөлөө

Арга барилын үндсэн зорилго, зорилт
The Approach focused on SLM only

(1) Demonstration and dissemination. (2) The spread of non-burning practices, specifically the 'green cane trash blanket' technology to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly sugar cane production. (3) Indirectly: to satisfy social concerns associated with burning of sugar cane.

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: (1) Anti-social farming practice of burning sugar cane which also has negative environmental impacts, both in situ, and offsite in the coral reef. (2) Resistance to change in traditional farming practice.
Тухайн Арга барилын хүрээнд нэвтрүүлсэн Технологийг хэрэгжүүлэхэд дэмжлэг болох нөхцлүүд
Тухайн Арга барилын хүрээнд нэвтрүүлсэн Технологийг хэрэгжүүлэхэд хүндрэл учруулах нөхцлүүд
  • Нийгэм / соёл / шашны хэм хэмжээ, үнэт зүйлс: traditional way of doing things/social resistance Treatment through the SLM Approach: demonstration and dissemination of benefits
  • Санхүүгийн нөөц, үйлчилгээний хүртээмж / боломж: Higher costs of harvesting (a small premium charged by contractors per tonne of green cane harvested). Treatment through the SLM Approach: These costs are offset by lower tillage input, no costs associated with burning, and lower inputs of agrochemicals also.
  • ГТМ-ийн талаарх мэдлэг, техникийн дэмжлэг авах боломж: Harvesting machines at first were not so well able to cope with the greater biomass to be harvested. Treatment through the SLM Approach: Manufacturers developed higher capacity harvesters.

Талуудын оролцоо ба үүрэг

Арга барилд оролцогч талууд болон тэдгээрийн үүрэг
Ямар оролцогч талууд / хэрэгжүүлэгч байгууллагууд арга барилд оролцож байсан бэ? Оролцогч талуудыг тодорхойлно уу Оролцогч талуудын үүргийг тайлбарлана уу
Орон нутгийн газар ашиглагч / орон нутгийн иргэд There is no difference between men and women in principle, though de facto most growers are male.
Засгийн газар (шийдвэр гаргагч, төлөвлөгч) politicians (govt. agencies)
environmentalists
Арга барилын янз бүрийн үе шатанд орон нутгийн газар ашиглагчид / бүлгүүдийг татан оролцуулах
үгүй
идэвхигүй
Гадаад дэмжлэг
интерактив
өөрийн хүчийг нэгтгэсэн
санаачлага/идэвхжүүлэлт
x
starting up the practice; starting up the practice of green cane trash blanket (GCTB)
Төлөвлөгөө
x
Хэрэгжилт
x
spreading the word; growers spreading the word, support by extension services
Мониторинг/ үнэлгээ
x
growers joining hands with research; formal and informal disseminations of observations
Research
x
growers joining hands with research. Quantifying benefits short, long term and downstream
Арга барил хэрэгжүүлэх бүдүүвч

Institutional framework Inter-relationships between sugar cane growers and other stakeholders.

ГТМ-ийн технологи сонгох шийдвэр гаргах явц

Шийдвэр гаргасан этгээд

  • Газар ашиглагч дангаараа (өөрийн санаачлага)
  • ГТМ-ийн мэргэжилтнүүдийн дэмжлэгтэйгээр, голчлон газар ашиглагчид
  • оролцооны зарчмын хэсэг болох бүх холбогдох талууд
  • голдуу ГТМ-ийн мэргэжилтнүүд, газар ашиглагчидтай зөвлөлдсөний үндсэн дээр
  • ГТМ-ийн мэргэжилтэн дангаараа
  • улс төрчид / удирдагчид

Шийдвэр гаргах үндэслэл нь

  • ГТМ-ийн мэдлэгийг баримтжуулалтын үнэлгээ (нотолгоонд суурилсан шийдвэр гаргах)
  • Судалгааны үр дүн, ололтууд
  • Хувь хүний туршлага ба санал бодол (баримтжуулаагүй)

Техникийн туслалцаа, чадавхи бий болгох болон мэдлэгийн менежмент

Дараах үйл ажиллагаа эсвэл үйлчилгээ нь арга барилын нэг хэсэг болсон
Зөвлөх үйлчилгээ
Зөвлөх үйлчилгээ үзүүлсэн
  • Газар ашиглагчийн талбай дээр
  • Тогтмол төвд
Name of method used for advisory service: green cane trash blanket (GCTB) system; Key elements: visits, Field days, publications; (1) Advisory service was carried out through: Bureau of Sugar Experimental Stations (BSES).(2) Advisory service was carried out through: Bureau of Sugar Experimental Stations (BSES).
Мониторинг ба үнэлгээ
Technical aspects were ad hoc monitored by land users through observations There were None changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: Not applicable.
Судалгаа
Судалгаа нь дараах сэдвийг хамарсан
  • Социологи
  • Эдийн засаг/ зах зээл
  • Экологи
  • Технологи

There has been some ad hoc research carried out on technical parameters by both the BSES as well as CSIRO.

Санхүүжилт болон хөндлөнгийн материаллаг дэмжлэг

ГТМ-ийн бүрэлдэхүүн хэсгийн жилийн төсөв ам.доллараар
  • < 2,000
  • 2,000-10,000
  • 10,000-100,000
  • 100,000-1,000,000
  • > 1,000,000
Precise annual budget: тодорхойгүй
Approach costs were met by the following donors: government (national government, Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations): 20.0%; other (growers themselves): 80.0%
Газар ашиглагч нарт дараах урамшуулал, үйлчилгээг үзүүлсэн
  • Газар ашиглагчдад санхүүгийн / материаллаг дэмжлэг үзүүлсэн
  • Тодорхой хөрөнгө оруулалтанд нөхөн олговор олгох
  • Кредит
  • Бусад урамшуулал, хэрэгсэл
Газар ашиглагчдад санхүүгийн болон материаллаг дэмжлэг үзүүлэх
By government (national government, Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations)

Нөлөөллийн дүн шинжилгээ ба дүгнэлт

Арга барилын үр нөлөө
Үгүй
Тийм, бага зэрэг
Тийм, зарим
Тийм, их
Арга барил нь ГТМ-ийн технологийг хэрэгжүүлж, хадгалахад газар ашиглагчдад тусласан уу?

Considerable: nutrient losses reduced, erosion reduced, organic matter built up, etc.

x
Did other land users / projects adopt the Approach?

The 'triple bottom line' is probably active throughout Australia in influencing farmers??? decisions.

x
Газар ашиглагчид ГТМ хэрэгжүүлэх болсон үндсэн шалтгаан
Арга барилын хүрээнд хэрэгжүүлсэн үйл ажиллагааны тогтвортой байдал
Газар ашиглагчид арга барилаар дамжуулан хэрэгжүүлсэн арга хэмжээг тогтвортой үргэлжлүүлж чадах уу (гадны дэмжлэггүйгээр)?

By definition this is sustainable: it is an internal mechanism amongst farmers.

Дүгнэлт, сургамж

Давуу тал: газар ашиглагчийн бодлоор
Давуу тал: эмхэтгэгч эсвэл бусад мэдээлэл өгсөн хүмүүсийн бодлоор
  • Farmers take the responsibility of choosing a land management practice that has a positive 'triple bottom line': environmental, economic and social benefits. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Support awareness raising and give appreciation to the on-site and off-site benefits; acknowledge sugar produced under this system an environmentally friendly and economic product.)
  • Has successfully stimulated the spread of the green cane trash blanket system. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Outsiders should continue to support farmers' multiple concerns.)
  • Sugar cane growing has previously had a bad environmental and social reputation, especially here, close to the Great Barrier Reef, which is a World Heritage Site. This change in practice, resulting from the 'triple bottom line' has changed the reputation of sugar cane growers. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Make this public.)
Сул тал/ дутагдал / эрсдэл: газар ашиглагчийн бодлоордаван туулах боломжууд
Сул тал/ дутагдал / эрсдэл: эмхэтгэгч эсвэл бусад мэдээлэл өгсөн хүмүүсийн бодлоордаван туулах боломжууд
  • The fact that farmers are responsive to environmental and social as well as economic stimuli is covered up by conventional thinking that 'only money matters to them'. Investigation and documentation of the 'triple bottom line' is required.

Суурь мэдээлэлүүд

Эмхэтгэгч
  • Anthony J. Webster
Хянан тохиолдуулагчид
Хянагч
  • David Streiff
  • Deborah Niggli
Баримтжуулсан огноо: 31 12-р сар 2008
Сүүлийн шинэчлэл: 04 4-р сар 2018
Мэдээлэл өгсөн хүн
WOCAT мэдээллийн сан дахь бүрэн тодорхойлолт
Холбогдох ГТМ мэдээлэл
Баримтжуулалтыг зохион байгуулсан
Байгууллага Төсөл
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareaAlike 4.0 International