Biosecurity Ranked Top Priority In KPMG Agribusiness Agenda 2026
According to new research, industry leaders have ranked world-class biodiversity as the number one priority for the 16th year in a row.
The report says while the farming industry has done a good job appealing to the minds of people, it has done little to appeal to their emotions.
Report author Ian Proudfoot says the easiest way to do this is to make an emotional connection with food. He says the word ‘food’ – unlike farming – can make much more of an emotional link with people. Proudfoot claims uncertainty surrounding the values of many primary sector organisations means the wider community don’t believe their claims.
“The messaging that came through in this year’s agenda – very clearly – was ‘swimmable’ means swimmable -- not by 2040 and not to a scientific standard.
“This is how somebody sitting in our office in Auckland today would understand it. We can’t keep trying to win these arguments with statistics of science, when these are emotive arguments.”
The 85-page agenda report is crammed with insightful, futuristic gems about what NZ should and could do to win public and consumer confidence and for the sector to take a greater slice of high-value consumer markets.
