Introduction

In many respects agriculture can be regarded as any other industry, in that it uses resources to produce products and in doing so it produces by-products that are potentially polluting wastes. However, unlike other industries, the products of agriculture can be divided into foods and materials, which are directly purchased by the consumer, and custodianship of the land, which historically has been unappreciated and not recompensed. In the later part of the twentieth century, the role of farmers as custodians of the countryside was first fully appreciated and this was typically manifested in two ways. Firstly, agri-environment schemes were introduced as a mechanism by which farmers could receive payment from the state to actively manage their land in ways considered to be beneficial to the environment (see Chapters 4 and 5). Secondly, legislation was increasingly introduced which regulates the disposal of agricultural waste products and hence protects the environment. Even in the absence of legislation, agriculturalists have a moral obligation to dispose of their wastes responsibly. Pollution incidents can only result in the image of the industry being damaged in the eyes of its increasingly aware consumers. This chapter therefore reviews the range of waste materials that are produced by modern agriculture, the potential environmental impacts that can result if they are not dealt with appropriately and options available for waste management planning for efficient resource use and meeting current and future legal liabilities.