PRESIDENT’S WORD
CHANGE CAN BE HARD Words by Barry O’Neil : HortNZ president
I have empathy for the farmers and growers who “howled” in protests up and down the country in August. These farmers and growers are organising to protest again in November, bringing public attention to the very real challenges the rural sector faces around climate change, freshwater, land use and the shortage of labour. It is easy to understand that to most, it all seems too much and too soon. Some protestors have called for a blanket stop on all the reforms, but I would prefer to hear discussion and debate about what would be better approaches than what is proposed. I would like to think that most would agree that climate change requires us to rethink how we grow and farm, or restore river water quality, for example; and that the Resource Management Act (RMA) requires reform as the current one is not working. I do not at all believe the New Zealand public is blaming farmers and growers for what the whole country needs to address. It is more a case that there is greater awareness than ever before of what is happening to the environment and the responsibility we all have to act. Obviously, this government – with such a strong mandate within a three-year political cycle – is going to do what it was elected to do, based on its openly stated policies. And like it or not, this is democracy at work.
2 NZGROWER : NOVEMBER 2021
So, what do our consumers want us to do? One area I always try and reflect on when change is proposed is what consumers would want us to be doing – the people who consciously choose and pay for our fruit and vegetables. The beliefs and values of these consumers have changed and will continue to do so as the younger generations become the majority group purchasing. Unfortunately, their understanding of growing is not always good. There is the ongoing challenge for the horticulture sector to take consumers with us on our journey and show them what we have done, and what growing in the future will involve. In turn, this will hopefully help them understand why we are asking them to pay a fair price for our produce.
There is greater awareness than ever before of what is happening to the environment and the responsibility we all have to act One thing that is clear to me is the increasing consumer demand for healthy, great tasting food, produced in a more sustainable way – which will return our rivers to a healthier state and manage the impacts of climate change for future generations.
Consumers are also seeking assurances that our sector is operating with good social practice. With the world seemingly either burning with wildfires or experiencing extreme weather events such as flooding and hurricanes, you can see why the public are so concerned.
HortNZ’s vision is “Healthy food for all, forever” and our purpose is to “Create an enduring environment where growers thrive” Some growers are calling for HortNZ to be more aggressive and vocal in criticising the government over the policies being implemented. I have seen other organisations do this at their own peril, ending up with doors closed on them. They have no opportunity to sit around a table and engage with key officials and Ministers, ultimately resulting in poor outcomes for their members. When I think about this government’s understanding of horticulture, I think about the policy changes being made to support vegetable growing especially in Pukekohe and the Horowhenua. The Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme for example, allowing workers from the Pacific to work in New Zealand without
