What is an EMS?		Resource Materials		Assessment Tools		EMS Links		Contact Us
EMS Articles The EMS Process Policy Statement Plan Implement Check & Correct Review & Improve Partners for Livestock EMS Project Go to the University of Wisconsin Partners for Livestock EMS website Agricultural EMS Introductory booklet (You will need Adobe Reader to open the introductory booklet. If you do not already have Reader, click below.)	What is an Environmental Management System (EMS)? Environmental Management Systems (EMS) are a voluntary, flexible approach to environmental management and have been implemented throughout the world by businesses, including farms & ranches, of all sizes. An EMS is a management-based approach for improving environmental performance of your operation. If you are familiar with the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM), you will find many similarities. Each EMS follows a similar framework, but the complexity will differ for each farm or ranch. The process of an EMS consists of: an Environmental Policy Statement, and following a Plan, Implement, Check & Correct, and Review & Improve cycle. Environmental Policy Statement-(What do I want to tell others about my environmental management?) The environmental policy statement is meant to communicate your environmental beliefs and intentions to others and serve as a framework for your plan. Plan-(What do we need to do to remain profitable and environmentally responsible?) Your plan identifies environmental priorities, assesses current environmental performance and existing activities, and sets measurable objectives. Beyond regulatory compliance, you determine the timeline. Existing plans (such as nutrient management plans) are not replaced or duplicated by the EMS. Your existing activities are the starting point of your EMS and will be evaluated for potential improvements. Implement-(“Who will do “what” and “when”?) As you implement your plan, consider potential errors and which ones could lead to serious environmental or safety consequences. Possible controls for these errors include communication & training, record keeping, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and/or emergency planning. Check and Correct- (Did we do what we planned?) Just as a producer monitors weeds, diseases, or insects for potential impact on yields, so too will you monitor your plan. Are you making progress toward your objectives? Are your performance measures and monitoring efforts helping you identify concerns quickly? Are actions being taken in a timely manner and changes communicated to the appropriate people? Review and Improve-(What can we do better?) At least annually, management should review the plan and evaluate whether improvements are needed. This review helps your plan stay current with changing issues, changes in the farm size or structure, turnover of key personnel, changing regulations, and new information or technology. Your plan is revised and the cycle repeats. An EMS does not require you to achieve perfection, but rather, to continually improve environmental performance. Much of the information on this website is a result of a research project titled “Partners for Livestock Environmental Management Systems”. Two faculty members from the University of Nebraska participated in investigating the application of EMS concepts to livestock operations. The “Partners” project commenced in October, 2000 and concluded in September, 2005 with participation from over 200 beef, dairy and poultry producers in nine states. For more information on the “Partners for Livestock EMS” project, go to the University of Wisconsin PLEMS website. The Partners project was supported by a USDA Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service (CSREES) grant # 00-52103-9650. Return to top
	What is an EMS?	Resource Materials		Assessment Tools		EMS Links		Contact Us

University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Copyright © 2005 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

For questions or suggestions about this web page, contact Jill Heemstra, Extension Educator University or Rick Koelsch, Livestock Bioenvironmental Engineer University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Photo credits: The dairy, swine and poultry photos are courtesy of the USDA NRCS photo gallery. Other photos were taken by Jill Heemstra.