Environmental sustainability

‘Planet’ is one of the four pillars of the Pork Sustainability Framework. The pork industry is working to improve its environmental footprint in the following key areas:

• Carbon cycling and nutrient accounting
• Farm biodiversity and natural resource stewardship
• Closing the loop to reduce waste

In 2021 APL launched our Sustainability Framework (2021-2030) for the Australian pork industry. The Framework not only provides a platform for our sector’s achievements to be recognised both nationally and internationally, but it also sees us playing a more significant role in the development of the broader Australian agricultural sustainability story.

APL has published its first Pork Sustainability Framework baseline report, following the release of its Sustainability Framework (2021-2030), which aims to enable a thriving Australian pork industry, striving to sustainably produce the pork that people love. 

Published in 2023, the report highlights the industry’s progress and goals in areas like resource efficiency, waste reduction, and economic impact.

As a part of APL’s commitment to sustainability, two roadmaps have been created for producers. These roadmaps will give you information and demonstrate actions that can be taken to help reduce carbon emissions and to close the loop on waste.

To understand emissions, how to benchmark your farm, and to learn what practices can be implemented to reduce emission output, check out the low carbon emission roadmap.

To understand how to minimise feed inputs, improve efficiency to minimise waste, utilise manure nutrients and discover new ways to manage hard waste, take a look at the closing the loop roadmap.

If you want to know what the environmental impact of your farm is, conducting a life cycle assessment (LCA) is the first step. LCAs cover a wide range of impacts, but most commonly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, land use, land use change, energy use, and water use.