Accreditation in Australian agriculture – on the right track or are farmers lost in the maze?

The practices products and resource management of Australia’s farm managers and their environmental consequences are being closely scrutinised by the community. Accreditation is an approach increasingly being used to monitor these matters across agricultural industries. Quality Assurance and Environmental Management Systems have gained prevalence as a means of validating activity and providing evidence of meeting stewardship responsibilities. This paper reviews the range of programs and systems available to primary producers across Australia. In this review it is argued that the growth of these accreditation systems has given rise to confusion, duplication, and increased management and industry costs, with limited assurances to customers and the community of food safety, animal welfare and environmental stewardship. This review has identified that accreditation systems in Australian agriculture require simplification and coordination by governments, industry and program instigators, and the development of better recognition systems for consumers.