Application
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to manage the establishment and implementation of sustainable work practices in organic farming enterprises of all sizes and in a variety of work settings.
All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, work health and safety, animal welfare and biosecurity legislation and codes, and sustainability practices.
This unit applies to production managers and workplace supervisors in an organic farming enterprise that are responsible for identifying selling options, developing a relationship with community groups, complying with community based marketing scheme requirements, organising appropriate transport and keeping sale records.
This unit applies to individuals who take responsibility for their own work and for the quality of the work of others within know parameters and use discretion and judgment in the selection, allocation and use of available resources.
No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Element | Performance criteria |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Access the farm businesses guidelines and principles for social, financial and environmental sustainability | 1.1 Identify environmental regulations, organic farming requirements and the organic farm plan which apply to the farming enterprise 1.2 Source and interpret environmental and sustainable organic farming information and current best practice guidelines and underlying organic principles 1.3 Identify the impact of best practice guidelines and using organic principles on day to day farm operations and management 1.4 Identify key sustainability practices for an organic farming enterprise 1.5 Access business guidelines and farm practices which comply with sustainable organic farming guidelines and principles |
2. Implement established farm business guidelines and principles | 2.1 Implement strategies to effectively integrate sustainability principles and practices into the organic farm system 2.2 Identify continuous improvement opportunities and document identified changes to businesses guidelines and principles 2.3 Implement agreed improvements to the farm businesses guidelines and principles |
3. Monitor farm business sustainability initiatives for effectiveness and compliance | 3.1 Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and compliance of organic and sustainability practices in terms of environmental, social and financial goals 3.2 Evaluate and report changing trends and techniques relevant to sustainable organic farming for continuous improvement |
4. Engage farm business stakeholders in sustainability practices | 4.1 Communicate sustainability strategies to stakeholders and relevant staff 4.2 Monitor stakeholder compliance with organic sustainability strategies along the entire supply chain 4.3 Identify and document identified continuous improvement initiatives 4.4 Encourage and assist stakeholders to implement improvements to the system |
5. Determine Social Capital benefits from Community engagement with the farm enterprise | 5.1 Identify food security and food sovereignty issues addressed by farm business practices 5.2 Monitor compliance with regulatory and legislative requirements in relation to labour management where applicable 5.3 Determine level of engagement with community engagement with local networks and community groups, regional food networks and regional bodies |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.
The candidate must provide evidence that they can:
identify businesses guidelines and principles for social, financial and environmental sustainability
identify and interpret environmental regulations, sustainable organic farming requirements, farm plan and current best practice guidelines and principles
implement strategies to integrate sustainability principles and practices into the farm system and identify continuous improvement opportunities
monitor farm business sustainability initiatives for effectiveness and compliance
adopt and document continuous improvement initiatives
encourage staff and farm business stakeholders to embrace sustainability practices
apply enterprise work health and safety policies and guidelines
implement enterprise environmental sustainability practices
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:
best practice guidelines
principles and processes relevant to sustainable organic farming
compliance requirements for all relevant environmental/sustainability legislation, regulations and codes of practice including resource hazards/risks associated with work area, job specifications and procedures
sustainability issues including environmental and social issues that relate to an organic farm
external benchmarks used within an organic farming enterprise, including approaches to improving techniques used and expected outcomes
Assessment Conditions
Competency is to be assessed in the workplace and/or a simulated environment that accurately reflects performance in a real workplace setting.
Assessors must satisfy current standards for RTOs.
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
Sectors
Organic Production (ORG)