Why our future depends on taking biosecurity seriously
OPINION: When it comes to biosecurity, we often hear about the end of a response, but it’s the beginning that helps determine our success.
Biosecurity is relevant to every New Zealander, according to the head of Biosecurity NZ Roger Smith.
He points to statistics showing that while 60% of people understand biosecurity, only 2% think it is relevant.
“That is a terrible statistic,” Smith told Rural News at the Biosecurity Forum in Auckland last week. “Actually, biosecurity is relevant to everybody.”
The forum, first held last year, gets together stakeholders — traditional and non-traditional — to take stock of work done to raise awareness about biosecurity.
“Some people think biosecurity is only relevant for farmers, but if you run a florist shop biosecurity is as important, so we have people at the forum from right across the spectrum.”
Biosecurity 2025, launched by the Government to raise awareness -- ‘Ko Tatou, This is Us’ – is an independent brand for the biosecurity community.
Smith says one of the main themes for Biosecurity 2025 is to build a biosecurity team of 4.7 million – all New Zealanders.
“We are creating a movement that connects and aligns all the actions and activities by individuals, businesses, iwi/hapū and communities across the biosecurity system and encourages further action.
“The movement shows all New Zealanders, both individuals and businesses, that they are essential in helping strengthen our system and that every small action towards better biosecurity is important.”
Biosecurity NZ was set up as a separate department of MPI by the Labour-led coalition.
The Government wanted to reaffirm the importance of biosecurity, Smith said, and many people saw MPI’s biosecurity branch as “interested in what farmers are doing”.
“When I used to go to a meeting representing MPI, even though I’m from biosecurity, I would be told that [MPI is] only interested in what farmers are doing. Conservation groups meeting us said ‘you are not interested in us’.”
He says Biosecurity NZ as a separate department reaffirms the importance the Government is placing on biosecurity for everyone in the country.
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
Balclutha farmer Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
Academic freedom is a privilege and it's put at risk when people abuse it.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.