Our Environmental Management Learning Pathways

Before discussing the effects of agriculture on the environment, this course presents the influence of abiotic and biotic factors on plant growth. A set of parameters (light, water, temperature, atmospheric gases, presence of pests, pathogens or competing plants) ultimately determines crop production. When one of the key elements is affected, production slows down or is destroyed.

Route 1 presents the foundations necessary to understand the environment in its broadest sense (concepts of watershed and aquifer, soil structure and functions, role and importance of biodiversity, water, carbon and nitrogen cycles).

Route 2 focuses on the various impacts of agricultural practices on water, soil, biodiversity and air quality. Most intensive agricultural practices affect the various environmental compartments. It is necessary to understand how they act in order to be able to respond effectively and, by reducing their effects, improve the state of the environment.

Route 3 presents techniques and methods to restore environmental quality (e.g. enriching the soil with organic matter to improve its structure and resistance to water erosion or compaction, to increase water storage or biomass in the soil). The environmental effects of various production systems are analysed by comparing their performance against conventional systems.

Sustainable environmental management is the subject of various international conventions and has been integrated into private standards. The course presents the objectives of these conventions and the requirements of the main environmental standards. Through its Sustainability Charter, COLEAD encourages companies to manage their activities in a sustainable way by committing to reduce adverse effects on the environment and protect natural resources, biodiversity and ecosystem services.

To improve sustainable environmental management, two tools are presented in this course: environmental risk analysis, which identifies the environmental impact of producers' practices; and life-cycle assessment, a standardised method for carrying out an environmental assessment of production. We will see that, in its production itinerary, a horticultural company needs to consider from the outset the issue of recycling or recovering the "waste" produced during the cultivation process.

To address all these very different aspects, this Sustainable Environmental Management course is structured as three routes. Routes 2 and 3 have two levels. The intermediate level allows you to tackle the subject and to understand the main principles, without going into all the details of implementation. Successful completion of a test will give you access to the advanced level, where you can progress in understanding the subject and address the more practical aspects of implementation (details of the steps to follow, planning of operations, procedures to implement, reporting of results, etc.).

All three routes combined will enable you to achieve a broad level of knowledge about Sustainable Environmental Management; however, each route can be studied as a stand-alone resource.

All managers of ACP horticultural companies ("operators") are responsible for production (conventional or organic), protection of the harvest, and the transport and packaging of exported products. In particular, they are responsible for ensuring respect for the environment and compliance with specifications, and verifying the conformity and traceability of batches placed on the market through the documents accompanying their products.

Target audience: executives of companies responsible for:

• regulatory compliance of product batches (operations managers, crop/production managers, quality and traceability managers, packaging station managers)
• respect for the environment (water, soil, biodiversity, air quality)
• sustainable energy and waste management

Rationale: production managers are responsible for choosing production and crop protection methods (chemical or alternative methods). They must ensure compliance with good agricultural and phytosanitary practices (sustainable production, health and safety rules for staff, storage rules, respect for the environment, etc.). They must also ensure compliance with local legislation and standards for plant protection products (PPPs) and maximum residue levels (MRLs) for harvested products, as well as the requirements of voluntary private norms (VPNs), particularly in the environmental field.

Enhanced skills:

• Manage production units in such a way as to meet productivity and efficiency requirements, while taking into account changes in regulatory and commercial requirements (particularly sustainability)
• Ensure the continuity of operations, production compliance with hygiene and quality standards, and traceability
• Continually evolve and improve the means of production and the sustainability of practices
• Collect and interpret data to manage the company; measure deviations from the sustainability objectives set by the company's strategy and profitability
• Organise and facilitate internal training to strengthen the skills of production staff

Target audience: service providers who deliver technical assistance to managers and company executives to implement integrated production and/or sustainable environmental management strategies. Service providers who act as trainers and/or trainers-of-trainers or coaches to these people.

Rationale: provide technical assistance with extensive skills in environmental protection (water, soil, biodiversity, air quality), sustainable energy and waste management; and with complementary training skills (coaching and communication) to be able to lead a project team. Providing training (or training-of-trainers) requires the mastery of technical skills (in agronomy and the environment) and training skills (communication skills, group facilitation, coaching, skills assessment). In line with COLEAD's cascading training system, ACP experts trained in this field are also needed, for example to strengthen the communication skills of middle managers in companies (internal training, e.g. through field training workshops).

Enhanced skills:

• Be aware of the regulatory requirements and main private voluntary standards in the field of environmental protection (in the broad sense)
• Identify agricultural practices presenting a risk to the environment (use tools such as COLEAD's Sustainability Self-Assessment System)
• Analyse and control risks by implementing GAP and environmental restoration methods
• Develop and/or manage an environmental training programme
• Facilitate training-of-trainers, coach and evaluate participants