Opinion – Maintaining growers’ social licence while taking risk

OPINION

MAINTAINING GROWERS’ SOCIAL LICENCE WHILE TAKING RISK

Words by Richard Palmer

The Impossible Burger, no meat involved

November 15 marks the day on which individuals in select sectors are to feel the effects of Social Licence to Operate. Whilst this may be new to teachers and healthcare workers, it’s a different story for producers of one of humankind’s basic needs: food.

So how is it that when faced with the choice to get on board with societal expectations or not, many are choosing the ‘my choice’ road to financial disruption as they are locked out of their jobs and income? When facing that choice as growers we may have grumbled but we well understand the importance of being part of the solution to many of the contemporary issues, as well as being pragmatic enough to accept it has to be done to ensure we have a future for our businesses. The actions of the government to mandate Covid-19 vaccination, whilst directly affecting the very person, are really then no different from those on emissions, land use, water quality – they’re about a societal response to societal expectations. Earlier this month, the Impossible Burger finally made its way to New Zealand. I sought one out a couple of years ago in Singapore, and for those who haven’t tried one, what an experience! Quite possibly the best burger patty I’ve ever eaten and impossible to tell apart from the perfectly cooked real meat version. Why did it take so long to get an amazing meat-free alternative into New Zealand? Because the secret ingredient that makes the Impossible Burger so bloody and meaty needed approval from FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) – that ingredient called leghemoglobin is derived from genetically engineered soy. So, what a great success that approval was granted, and the New Zealand plant industry can capitalise on innovative and awesome food production… well not quite. As discussed earlier, New Zealand willingly sets rules that benefit society – most societies and governments do.

But we’re still some way off accepting all the available tools in our tool bag to give food production the support it needs to address some of our world’s most pressing issues. Take gene-editing as an example. I’m sure the first outcry will be that this is mankind playing God. Well in case you missed it we’re doing that already: Fukushima and Chernobyl, climate change, over-fishing, plastic in our oceans. Just maybe we need to have a new debate about the necessity for utilisation of new tools that can produce more innovative plant products from which to derive a whole range of food and fibre solutions that address some of these issues. And we need to take consumers with us because this isn’t a black and white issue, it‘s matter of degree, perception and relative benefit. Already what some other countries call GMO (genetically modified organisms), we’re quite happy with, and viceversa. Current plant breeding techniques are genetic modification just through natural crosses, which takes time and massive investment. Speeding up that process because society can see the value in it is crucial to our responding to the world’s challenges. So perhaps, given our demonstrated willingness to act for the greater good,

The Impossible Burger, no meat involved

New Zealand can respond more quickly, more innovatively, and with attendant economic benefit for New Zealanders, to meet the demands for more food, produced in an increasingly sustainable way. This piece reflects personal opinion only and is in no way the position of HortNZ or Processed Vegetables New Zealand.

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