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

Ready for a new challenge

After spending 20 years running her own successful environmental consultancy in Central Otago, Kate Scott is ready for a new challenge.

Call for consistent rules

Listen, learn and lead - those are the top priorities next year for HortNZ's new chief executive, Kate Scott.

Boost for hort exports

The horticulture sector is a big winner from recent free trade deals sealed with the Gulf states, says Associate Agriculture Minister Nicola Grigg.

Applications for HortNZ scholarships now open

Applications are open for Horticulture New Zealand’s (HortNZ) 2025 scholarship programme with18 funding opportunities for students with a special interest in the commercial fruit and vegetable industry.

Featured

Fiancé finalists to square off

Steph Le Brocq and Sam Allen, a bride and groom-to-be, are among those set to face off in regional finals across New Zealand in the hopes of being named the Young Farmer of the Year.

'Female warriors' to talk ag sector opportunities

The East Coast Farming Expo is playing host to a quad of ‘female warriors’ (wahine toa) who will give an in-depth insight into the opportunities and successes the primary industries offer women.

National

Machinery & Products

Batten Buddy - cleverly simple

Stopping livestock from escaping their environment is a “must do” for any farmers or landowners and at times can seem…

U10 Pro Highland a step up

A few weeks after driving the CF MOTO U10 Pro ‘entry level’ model, we’ve had a chance to test the…

LC70 - A no-nonsense work horse

As most vehicle manufacturers are designing, producing and delivering machines with features that would take us into the next decade,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Dark ages

OPINION: Before we all let The Green Party have at it with their 'bold' emissions reduction plan, the Hound thought…

Rhymes with?

OPINION: The Feds' latest banking survey shows that bankers are even less popular with farmers than they used to be,…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter