It's a matter of managing inherent risk
The EFP process introduces participants to the concept of identifying and assessing environmental risk on their farms and ranches. Its objective is to help participants find solutions to eliminate, reduce or manage risk. The EFP workbook uses an approach of assessing risk that provides 1-4 "risk statements" or options, with "1" being the lowest risk and "4" being the highest, which offer an easy reference point for participants to compare their own current situation.
In some cases, through the assessment step, participants might find themselves with no option other than to accept a "3" rating for certain questions. These situations usually refer to inherent risk – a risk that will likely always remain high regardless of management practices. Often, these are associated with natural characteristics such as soil properties or activities such as the transportation and handling of pesticides or a combination.
An important step is to recognize that some practices, such as pesticide use, will always carry a certain degree of risk and that a high risk rating is not a sign of management failure. "The lack of options to reduce the risk rating of '3' can be frustrating for some EFP participants and they may even wonder if it's the intention of the EFP program to eliminate the use of pesticides, for example," says Perry Phillips, EFP Regional Team Leader for the Northeast Region.
"However, that is not the case. For a farmer to be safe when using pesticides, they have to accept that there is always a potential health risk to themselves and contamination risk to the environment and that sometimes, in the process of handling and storing these products, things can go wrong."
Phillips uses the following analogy to explain the risk involved in using products such as pesticides. "Take mountain climbers, for example. No matter how much experience they have, how modern their equipment is, or how good their practices are, they will always have a greater potential risk of being injured mountain climbing than people who do not climb at all. The safest mountain climber would be well aware at all times of the inherent risks that come with that activity."
Managing risk often comes down to using compensating practices such as minimizing the amount and length of time potentially hazardous products are handled or stored as well as frequency of use. When it comes to natural characteristics, observing minimum distances to water bodies and water sources can help in managing risk. "It comes down to good management like always reading and following the manufacturers' label directions, looking at other options if available, and good use of common sense," says Phillips.
Information and assistance on managing inherent risk, as well as a number of other on-farm environmental practices, is available through a strong network of technical assistants (TAs) throughout the province. Contact an AEFP facilitator, regional team leader, or call the AEFP toll-free line in Alberta at 1-866-844-2337 for information on TAs in your area. For general information on the EFP program, visit the AEFP Web site at www.AlbertaEFP.com.
This article is reprintable with credit to AEFP as follows "Reprinted courtesy of the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company; www.albertaEFP.com".
