Sustainability is all the go - isn't it? | OPINION

I started to think about this after a very pleasant meeting in my office with Anthony Kachenko, the general manager - stakeholder experience with Hort Innovation.

He contacted me as a regular reader of my column and was interested in my views.

He followed up by forwarding an e-mail from Anwen Lovett, of Outlook, on the subject of "A sustainable agricultural industry - our commitment".

This Sustainability Framework begins: "Sustainability for our industries means running profitable, productive, competitive and efficient businesses while creating environmental, economic and social value.

"It also means being accountable to stakeholders for the industry's actions and impacts."

YOU know me - I went straight to my Macquarie dictionary to check.

Fair enough.

The definition is: "Sustainability - having the capacity to continue operating perpetually, by avoiding adverse effects on the natural environment and depletion of natural resources."

I have to confess that the more I thought about it, the more cynical I became (that's another aspect of me which you know about).

I really do wonder how many of those actually involved in an agricultural industry don't bear this in mind?

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Yes, there are those who barge into an area, exploit it for a short period and then flee.

But they are a very small minority (I'm sure you'll let me know if you disagree).

The vast majority keep going, and, as it says, "are accountable to stakeholders for the industry's actions and impacts".

This is done because "sustainability frameworks provide a valuable tool for measuring and reporting how industry is performing against key sustainability issues".

I'll have a look at what tools there are for measuring and reporting on these issues (and how they're administered) in a future column, but what are those key issues as industry sees them now?

I DECIDED to ask around a bit and find out.

I did this by having a short chat to the "boss cockies" of five local companies.

I made it quite clear I wanted their quick/knee jerk/candid/personal reaction to this issue, that it would be anonymous and not attributable to them.

I also told them that these reactions would be published in my column, which didn't surprise them.

I then gave them the extract from the Sustainability Framework, quoted at the start of this column.

Here it is again: "Sustainability for our industries means running profitable, productive, competitive and efficient businesses while creating environmental, economic and social value.

"It also means being accountable to stakeholders for the industry's actions and impacts."

I asked them: You know all about your company's activities, what's your personal, candid reaction to this quote?

To cut a long story short, they all basically agreed with my somewhat cynical comment above.

So, we should lay off the sustainability preaching and let industry get on with their activities.

What do you think?

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