Thursday, 23 March 2017 11:55

Food security policy must be a priority

Written by  Mike Chapman
Mike Chapman. Mike Chapman.

Election year is the time to pitch for policies that will enable the continued growth and prosperity of New Zealand.

My pitch is for the Government to develop a food security policy.

Three key ingredients form the basis of this proposed policy. The first is that many of our fruit and vegetable growing operations are inter-generational, and we want that to continue. They have been in existence long enough for the fourth and, sometimes, the fifth generation to be entering the business. To continue this succession, there needs to be a focus on ensuring the land can be sustainably farmed.

This leads to the second ingredient for the proposed policy – sustainable environmental standards that are achievable. For each generation to pass the land onto the next in the best possible state for continued growing, the business has to be environmentally sustainable.

Additionally, the growth of horticulture is driven by exports, which attract premium prices because of our quality and healthy offerings. NZ horticultural exports are not just commodities, they are food, and consumers have high expectations.

To continue to attract a price premium as exports, our horticultural operations have to establish, and be audited against, environmental standards. High standards are set by the retailers we sell to. To maintain intergenerational ownership of our orchards and gardens we need to run environmentally sustainable operations and, to sustain these enterprises financially by earning premium prices, there is a need to meet standards imposed by those we sell to. 

The third element is the need to protect our land. Growers face rapid expansion of our cities, particularly Auckland, and the proliferation of lifestyle blocks, putting the squeeze on our top growing areas, such as Pukekohe. If we do not protect this land we will end up having to import spring vegetables that are now grown locally and delivered in the freshest state. 

This is because our spring vegetables are mostly grown around Pukekohe where the soils and climate enable earlier growth then elsewhere in NZ. Note that this is not just a critical issue in the Auckland area where the best land for horticulture is under threat; it is true in every major horticulture growing region.

The policy I am pitching is for the Government to develop a food security policy so that NZ can supply its domestic needs and do so at affordable rates. As noted above, the proposed food security policy is integrally linked to sustainable land management. So any food security policy would need to incorporate the continuation and improvement of environmental sustainability. The two are integrally linked and feed directly into financial and social sustainability for NZ.

Horticulture is a significant employer in rural NZ on a per hectare basis. It supports local communities through permanent employment of local people and seasonal employment of local and temporary workers from offshore, i.e. backpackers and recognised seasonal employer (RSE) scheme participants. 

All these workers contribute to the local economy. But most importantly, the survival of rural communities is predicated on the residents having the financial means to live in that community. 

The food security policy therefore does much more than protect the best horticultural land; it ensures NZ can feed itself, it keeps rural NZ populated and thriving, and it makes NZ financially sustainable.

• Mike Chapman is the chief executive Horticulture New Zealand.

More like this

Horticulture hit badly in Nelson/Tasman

HortNZ's CEO, Kate Scott says they are starting to see the substantial cumulative effects on their members of the two disastrous flood events in the Nelson Tasman region.

Featured

Trial shows benefits of spring nitrogen use

A landmark New Zealand trial has confirmed what many farmers have long suspected - that strategic spring nitrogen use not only boosts pasture growth but delivers measurable gains in lamb growth and ewe condition.

Eric Roy: Championing the pork industry

It was recently announced that former MP and Southland farmer Eric Roy has stepped down of New Zealand Pork after seven years. Leo Argent talks with Eric about his time at the organisation and what the future may hold.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

"Our" business?

OPINION: One particular bone the Hound has been gnawing on for years now is how the chattering classes want it…

Struth blue!

OPINION: Our Aussie mates never miss a chance to put one over us, as seen in a recent op-ed by…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter