Sustainable Agriculture: The NOSLaM Project 2002
Distributed by Chip Taylor Communications, 2 East View Drive, Derry, NH 03038-4812; 800-876-CHIP (2447)
Produced by Maplewood Productions, Inc.
Directed by Craig Hinde
VHS, color, 35 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Environmental Studies, Agriculture, Bioethics
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Marianne Reviewed by Marianne Foley, E.H. Butler Library, State University of New York College at Buffalo, E.H. Butler Library, Buffalo State CollegeSustainable Agriculture: The NOSLaM Project explores New Zealand agriculture and the NOSLaM Project. The acronym NOSLaM stands for North Ortago Sustainable Land Management. North Ortago is a region on the southeast coast of New Zealand. The NOSLaM group consists of about 80 farmers dedicated to developing sustainable agricultural management systems that maintain productivity without adversely affecting the environment. The video explains the financial, commercial, and political origins of the project as well as its benefit to farmers, the environment, New Zealand trade, and global consumers.
The NOSLaM Project has developed a registered certification program based on ISO 14001 environmental standards. The program objectively assesses the environmental impact of agricultural practices and provides proof of compliance, steps that would be prohibitively expensive for many individual farmers. Some of the issues NOSLaM has addressed include soil erosion, animal health, chemical herbicides and insecticides, and organic product certification. Ultimately, the NOSLaM group seeks to gain universal recognition for the quality of New Zealand’s agricultural products and to bring a greater sense of environmental accountability to the world.
Unfortunately, it is never clear if this video is about the NOSLaM Project, as the title implies, or the more general topic of New Zealand’s move to environmentally conscientious agriculture. There is much discussion of the country’s Resource Management Act and the benefits of organic farming, apart from NOSLaM. Viewers who want specifics on NOSLaM standards, processes, or organization would be better served by visiting the project’s Web site.