A broad approach to environment
OPINION: As an on-farm judge for the Ballance Farm Environment Awards for many years, I’ve witnessed first-hand how dramatically New Zealand agriculture and horticulture has transformed over the past three decades.
NZFE chairman Simon Saunders says welcomes Warwick Catto and Bruce Wills to the NZFE Board.
Catto is science strategy manager for Ballance Agri-Nutrients, the main sponsor of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA).
Catto won the Young Farmer of the Year competition in 1995 and chaired the competition's organising committee from 1996 to 2000. He has been on the BFEA National Winner judging panel since its introduction in 2011.
Over the last 10 years, he says, the Ballance Farm Environment Awards have grown significantly, evolving into an event of major importance to the primary sector.
"A key benefit of the competition is its power to bring together a wide range of industry stakeholders to debate good farming practice."
His tenure as a National Winner judge has seen Catto travel the length and breadth of the country, meeting some of the nation's top farmers and observing outstanding examples of environmental management.
"These farmers are financially and production-savvy and their economic success is underpinned by an exceptional focus on environmental sustainability," he says.
As a trustee for NZFE and a representative of Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Catto says one of his goals will be to help "protect the core values of the competition while also ensuring it delivers value to the sponsors".
Saunders says Catto's wealth of scientific knowledge and his vast experience in science extension work make him a valuable addition to the NZFE Board.
The other new trustee is Bruce Wills, former president of Federated Farmers New Zealand. The Hawke's Bay sheep and beef farmer is a long-time champion of environmental sustainability and an enthusiastic supporter of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
"For many years the NZFE Trust has been at the forefront of encouraging and showcasing good environmental practices, and I'm proud to be part of an organisation that is dedicated to helping farmers improve environmental management," he says.
Wills has chaired the East Coast BFEA since the awards began there in 2011. He is also chairman of the New Zealand Poplar and Willow Research Trust and a board member of the QE II National Trust.
He believes farmers and regional councils should take a collaborative approach to environmental management.
"I don't like seeing farmers chased with a big stick. Farmers and regulators need to work together to achieve good outcomes for landowners and good outcomes for the environment."
Saunders says the NZFE Board will draw on Wills' broad governance experience and political knowledge, and tap into the extensive network of contacts he has accumulated through his time at Federated Farmers.
"Bruce and Warwick bring a strong environmental ethos and political sensibility to the Board. They are both well-recognised as leaders in their field, and they are not afraid to front the issues surrounding environmental sustainability," Saunders says.
