Sustainable manure management is the application of sounds practices supported by scientific data over time. The impetus for research, development and extension activities will come from the industry, the public and federal and provincial agencies. To be successful, however, efforts must be co-ordinated, targeted to needs and delivered effectively.
What is clear is that single solutions are not the answer. We need to approach manure management from a systems perspective. The challenges identified under each of the strategic areas, although presented separately, are inter-related. Solutions must account for these relationships and evaluate the trade-offs that inevitably occur with decision-making. As a working document, this strategy brings together the challenges we face in manure management and allows stakeholders to see each component as part of a whole. It describes the objectives for each category, manure storage, manure application and use, manure odours, manure handling and transportation systems, manure treatment, environmental planning and communications and extension. It then describes the research being done in the area, the development of a strategy and the extension activities.