After recent Nuffield strategic work, the Rural Leaders Team and the NZRLT Board have identified five highly desirable core attributes of a Nuffield Scholar. These won’t come as any great surprise to Nuffield Alumni, but articulating these simply has been a valuable exercise, especially as our 2023 Scholarship search is set to begin.
Here are the five attributes any scholar selection process will look for in terms of evidence that they exist or have the potential to emerge in an applicant.
Bold
The will to step forward, be willing to challenge conventional thinking, to act, to make decisions with confidence.
Innovative
Someone who can develop and express original thinking and ideas.
Motivated
Driven to go above and beyond to accomplish a goal. Someone who can find the energy and confidence needed to do so.
Perceptive
Possesses the cognitive, observational, and critical thinking abilities to assess challenges and generate usable insights.
Community-minded
Motivated to contribute to community by collaborating and sharing skills, knowledge, experience, and ideas, forging ever-stronger connections with people and place.
Six Alumni to help with this years’ Scholar search.
We’re fortunate to have so many inspiring alumni to help us drive this years’ scholar search. We’ll need to represent as many industries as possible as well as show the changing face of food and fibre.
From the Catlins to Nelson – Scholars photographed doing their thing.
We set off a on a road trip recently to capture a few Nuffield Alumni – in their natural habitat.
From a time and budget perspective, travel was kept in the South Island. We hope to make it up to the North Island as well at some stage.
There are still many industries not yet represented – we’ve done our best for now covering: Aquaculture, dairy, sheep and beef, horticulture, agri-business, and more broadly, entrepreneurialism.
A big thank you to the Nuffield Alumni that agreed to help us with this shoot. Your generosity with your time and the effort you made was greatly appreciated. Those images shown, or some like them, will be used in advertising for the upcoming 2023 search. Here’s a preview.
Kate Scott, 2018 Nuffield Scholar
While much of Kate’s work is done indoors these days, running her business Landpro, she has a background in resource management planning, part of which involves testing water. We wanted to show Kate outside, on the land, doing the work she did when she started her business in 2007.
Kate balances a young family with work and involvement with organisations outside of work too, such as being Chair of the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust.
Julian Raine, 1997 Nuffield Scholar
Julian is involved in both the horticulture and dairy industries. For the purposes of this campaign, we captured Julian in one of his apple orchards near Richmond, in Marlborough. Julian is also partners with fellow Nuffield Scholar Murray King in Appleby Ice-cream.
One of Julian’s dairy farms was recently recognised by the SPCA for infrastructure aiding animal well-being. He has an eye on the future too, making at least a third of his orchards robot-ready.
Lynsey Stratford, 2021 Nuffield Scholar
Lynsey is a non-practising lawyer involved in her local rural community. She is a consultant for her business Primary People, which provides people management and development services to the primary sector.
We wanted to shoot Lynsey out with husband Chris on their dairy farm, situated in a unique part of the country at Curio Bay in Southland. Here, they have also recently covenanted 30 hectares of incredible bushland.
Andy Elliot, 2018 Nuffield Scholar
Andy is based in Nelson, Marlborough and is Research and Business Development Manager at Wakatū.He is at the cutting edge of aquaculture research and far from being daunted by the need for a lab, he created his own at the Cawthron Aquaculture Park. He is currently developing several projects.
Andy was also recently appointed to the Investment Advisory Panel for Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures.
Desiree Reid-Whitaker, 2010 Nuffield Scholar
Desiree is a former dairy farmer who learned the craft of whiskey distillation from some of the world’s best. Returning home to New Zealand, she spent six months finding the right location to build the Cardrona Distillery.
We wanted to capture Desiree in a beautiful environment loaded with visual clues that she has built everything in the most authentic way, not the easiest way.
Hamish Murray, 2019 Nuffield Scholar
Hamish farms sheep, cattle, and runs a substantial honey operation at Bluff Station, near Kaikoura. The station is as visually beautiful as it is vast and is run by an exceptional team of people. No surprises there, as Hamish is just as passionate about his own growth as he is about his team’s.
We were spoiled for choice at Bluff Station, the landscape is a photographer’s dream. The goal was to capture Hamish working – in this case moving cattle.
Lucie Douma and Parmindar Singh, 2022 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholars, have been in Norfolk, UK, for the Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC).
Back after two years’ hiatus, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the CSC ran between 7 and 15 March.
The Contemporary Scholars Conference – all together now, finally.
The Conference gathers Scholars from the current year and creates opportunities for them to learn and get to know each other at the start of their Nuffield journeys. Nuffield Scholars each bring different expertise, and all are keen to share knowledge and discuss the big challenges.
The CSC is followed by the Global Focus Programme (GFP), where Scholars split into groups to travel around the globe, visit multiple countries, businesses, institutions, and research organisations. On the GFP, Scholars will begin to dig deeper into their topics of interest, they will gather information and explore solutions and ideas.
CSC 2022 – Food, climate, health.
The theme of this years’ Conference was “Food, Climate, Health”, but by all accounts, the discussions were far reaching and went beyond the theme, not surprising given the aim of any Nuffield initiative has always been to look at things differently.
The Conference itinerary was packed with quality content, Q and A sessions, workshops, and plenty of opportunity for networking between Scholars.
In a post early on the CSC, Lucie and Parmindar both share the excitement,
“What a privilege to be able to join 150 people from across 15 countries at the Nuffield Contemporary Scholars Conference in both Norwich and London.
The week was packed with inspirational speakers, farm visits, gala dinners, meeting MPs, and getting to know how other countries farm. We’ve met some incredible people along the way.”
The elephant in the room: War time food security.
When the Conference was planned, everyone’s mind was preoccupied with the Covid pandemic and when we would get that under control. If we only knew…
Just couple of weeks before the start of the CSC, a new global challenge arose – the Russian invasion in Ukraine, bringing a tsunami of worries around the world – the humanitarian devastation, the economic sanctions, the shifts in the political stances on so many issues. But there are massive implications for the agricultural sector and food security, caused by the war and the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus.
As part of the conference a Dutchman, named Kees Huizinga, who farms in Ukraine, addressed the scholars and talked about what it is to farm in a war zone.
As Lucie recounts, “Kees gave a sobering account of what is happening on the ground in the Ukraine, where farmers have less than a two-week window to plant their crops for the next year, including wheat. They are short 200,000t of diesel and are afraid to drive their tractors at night because they light up like Christmas trees and become targets.”
Everyone in the room felt the situation required immediate action.
“I just heard of a group of UK farmers who are driving to the Ukraine border next week to drop off supplies. This is real action. My question to you is what can we do from New Zealand to support these farmers?”, asked Lucie.
Scholar, Camila Hayseldon-Ashby, from the UK also conveys the sense of urgency and desperation she felt during Kees’s talk:
“As well as the humanitarian and moral impact, the war will have a huge impact on food production. We go to our political representatives and make sure they understand how this is impacting food production and global food security.”
Aled Rhys Jones, Nuffield Farming Scholar, broadcaster, and podcaster tweeted,
Visiting the locals: Condimentum.
Another highlight for the New Zealand Scholars, was the visit to Condimentum. Lucie shared on LinkedIn after the meeting:
Great to spend the morning with CEO, David Martin and the wider team at Condimentum where they are going through an exciting Growth stage while servicing a 10 year contract with Unilever to supply Coleman’s Mustard, an iconic brand in the UK. Parmindar Singh and myself learnt a lot about the mustard business and suggested ways they could use their by-products as an income stream instead of a waste stream #Condimentum
The end of the beginning.
The week appeared very intense and busy, even from afar, and in Lucie’s words “An excellent week spent getting to know 150 scholars, across two years from all around the world.”
Another attendee, Helen Wyman, quoted Nuffield Scholar Wyn Owen at the conclusion of the conference – ‘The end of the beginning’ as she elaborates on the experience,
“On Tuesday I returned home emotional, tired and overwhelmed but after a few days of reflection I am excited about the future and look forward to visiting my new friends around the UK and the globe very soon.”
These were only some of the anecdotes from the conference. We’ll hear more from Lucie and Parmindar when they return to New Zealand to collect their thoughts.
The conference is over, but the journey still lays ahead. For most of the participating scholars, it will never end. After all, being a Nuffield Scholar is, above all, a mindset – to keep searching, keep daring, keep improving.
Mel Poulton: In and on my farm business, I’m on both sides of the farm gate. I do anything from stockwork to bulldozing, to making all the decisions required to run a business.
In the Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE) role, following my appointment, border closures and a vastly different global operating context, have meant changing how the role is delivered. It’s a two-pronged approach with an international and a domestic focus, mixed with face to face and virtual engagement.
I’ve been more purposeful working with the world here in NZ, by way of direct engagement with the International Diplomatic Corps here (they are the eyes, ears, and influencers of their nations in NZ). This engagement includes taking Ambassadors on x-sector farm tours, hosting Diplomatic Corps meetings, and meeting with them one-to-one, or with industry groups. I am also working internationally on virtual platforms, speaking on panels, webinars, or virtual meetings with farmers, and private and public sector organisations.
Covid has provided opportunity for me to invest more time and effort with NZ sectors (all food and fibre – except Forestry and Fisheries). My background is the sheep and beef sector, but I put a high priority on building a greater understanding of the other sectors I represent as well. I use these insights when engaging with each of the sectors, government, and the world.
Helping NZ food and fibre producers broaden their understanding of the global and domestic context is a priority too. Both behind and beyond our farm gates.
Q: What changes have you seen since being in your SATE role?
MP: Quite a few things.
Trade negotiations. Trade negotiations, particularly the New Zealand-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), have been the fastest progressed trade negotiations in New Zealand history to get to Agreement in Principle – so I’ve been told. Much of this negotiation has been done virtually, also a first. This will change the way trade negotiations occur in the future. A lot less travel overall.
Farm subsidies. Direct and indirect farm subsidies in large economies, such as the USA, have increased exponentially. People may argue they have already exceeded agreed WTO thresholds.
Growing distrust. There’s a growing distrust of governments in the democratic world. Governments need to work on their social licence to operate. Social licence is not just a thing for food producers.
Supply chain vulnerability. Just In Time (JIT) delivery has been exposed for its supply chain vulnerability in this global pandemic. Economies and businesses will now be building more capacity in their value chain system. This will mean a more conservative approach to exports and imports, to withstand the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) in the world of trade, market access and freight.
Nevertheless, nothing beats high trust and long-term government to government, business to business, and people to people relationships across the world. New Zealand has optimised these relationships throughout the pandemic to utilise market diversity for navigating trade, market, and supply chain disruption.
For example, Covid19 related trade agreements to secure medical imports and food exports. As well as digital certification for export products, through to relationships that our major exporters have with freight companies, importers, and international customers. The last 18 months haven’t been easy, but these strong relationships, and diversity of markets, have shown their worth to New Zealand.
Food security. Economies are moving from thinking about food security, to actively putting mechanisms in place to secure their food supply in a pandemic disrupted system, e.g., green lanes in Europe. There’s also a slow nuanced shift from food security to nutritional security taking place.
Regulatory pressure. Farmers and food producers in New Zealand and around the world are wrestling with the multi-layered challenges of regulatory pressure (particularly on the environmental and climate change fronts), as well as market volatility, and Covid 19 induced uncertainty. This is increasing farm input costs and diminishing the tools available for farmers to use to produce food.
As an example, farmers in Europe have real fears about their ability to produce the volume of food required to stay viable and maintain food security. The new farm to fork strategy in the EU is deliberately shifting organic food production up to 25%, with rules to reduce synthetic fertiliser by 50%. Glyphosate use is under threat too. In some places farmers can’t use it (I note in New Zealand, the EPA is currently undertaking a review of Glyphosate use). There’s major transformational change happening in Europe.
The rush of multi-layered change gives a sense of exponential pressure. Farmers all over the world are feeling exasperated, frustrated, misunderstood and under siege. All the same, if there is anywhere in the world I would rather be farming right now, it is here in New Zealand.
We’ve navigated major challenges in the past, and when farmers look at the change they’ve implemented on their farms over the course of their careers, or in the intergenerational businesses they are running, we can take confidence in the fact we are already change agents.
A uniquely positioned New Zealand. From a New Zealand food producer’s perspective, farmers here are uniquely positioned. Without subsidies, we aren’t dancing to someone else’s tune in quite the same ways as farmers receiving subsidies elsewhere. There are two sides to this. On one hand we’re not being bailed out at the next threat, but we also get to take full responsibility to master the destiny of our businesses. So, we have an ability to create workable solutions in a way that keeps our businesses competitive globally.
With an innovative, integrated systems approach, we can create solutions to challenges like reducing our global warming impact, improving native biodiversity and water quality, while producing high quality, safe, nutritious food – delivered with integrity.
In New Zealand we have an industry ecosystem focussed on helping farmers create and implement solutions. Our research centres and academic institutions, both provide science and knowledge, and help support farmers crack real challenges. There are the easily accessible service providers, and the folk in Government ministries – who are in the teams working hard on trade negotiation to ensure the best possible outcomes for access to markets, and on removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers to create a level playing field for New Zealand. Let’s keep it that way.
This ecosystem enabling success is our major competitive advantage in the world. We’ve really got to leverage this and remember we’re all on the same team.
We must not be paralysed by fear, but instead celebrate what we’ve already achieved throughout our farming careers and take confidence that we can use our whole systems thinking to improve what we do for our natural resources, our people, businesses, and our nation.
Q: What links between International Trade and International Policy have you seen, with direct and indirect implications behind your farm gate?
MP: Let’s summarise how it works first. There are recognised global challenges. Then international forums are established to address these challenges, leading to international commitments made by member states (different nations).
Examples of this include United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Paris Accord on Climate Change. Some international commitments are legally non-binding. But where it applies to the WTO (World Trade Organisation) they are often legally binding.
Once those international commitments are made, each economy, member state, or nation must determine its own policy and regulation to deliver on its commitments. That gets shaped up (with some consultation in the process) and is rolled out by the government of the day, and folks like us everyday people have to make it work on the ground. The Government then reports back to those international forums, or institutions, on what our progress has been against the commitments the Government made. COP26 is an example of this.
Given New Zealand’s economy is so internationally exposed and dependent, we need to be at the international table to maintain influence.
But to have influence we need to have integrity and demonstrate action. So, these international commitments have been drivers for shaping NZ Government policy on Sustainability and Climate Change. Examples here are the New Zealand freshwater regulations and climate change targets. Both resulted in changes on my farm, and on farms all over New Zealand, which is increasing costs and could reduce revenue for some.
If we do it right, there could also be opportunity to reduce costs and increase profitability. It will be different for every business. The bottom line is that financially there’ll be change, so we need to reconfigure the financials for a new shape to our businesses. Easier for some than others, and not all will be the same.
The environmental, social, and economic outcomes are significant across NZ, and underestimated. In some cases, we might secure a market premium for this work, though there is no guarantee what we’re doing delivers a premium to food producers in New Zealand for all products in all markets. I have more confidence this work will enable us to obtain and maintain market access to customers.
This is where the work of our trade negotiators, ensuring a level playing field in market, is so critical for ensuring the changes we’re making here in NZ don’t make us uncompetitive on the international market. I’ve seen their tireless, relentless work, day, and night, to get the best possible outcomes for New Zealand. Many of these negotiators are the hidden superstars of our food and fibre ecosystem.
What is going on in New Zealand around environment and climate change is often a focus of interest from others in my international engagements. I talk about what these regulations and targets mean for me, and what I am investing in to address the challenges in my farm business, alongside promoting what other farmers from the different sectors are doing in New Zealand. I also give a clear message that much of this cannot be done quickly when taking a whole systems approach. Effective change takes time. Farmers the world over get this.
Q: How do you think Brexit will play out for New Zealand trade? The obvious and not so obvious.
MP: The choice of the UK people and UK parliament to pursue Brexitis forging transformational change for the UK food and fibre sector. The transition period will take 15 to 20, even 30 years to find a new equilibrium. Like the 30 years it took New Zealand to find equilibrium when agriculture subsidies were removed here. This change requires a culture shift in thinking about UK farm business structures, their subsidy system, domestic policies, and rebalancing their trade and export portfolio beyond the common market,to a global market. Add major geostrategic inflection points in trade and security, affecting us all, and you have a UK trying to position itself as a global strategic leader.
Its focus in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly regarding the FTA’s it is currently negotiating with Australiaand New Zealand,along withits formal request to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), allhighlight the trade and security opportunities and challenges it perceives. So, building more structure into the relationships of allies like New Zealand and Australia by way of FTA’s isan important part of their process to find their new place in the world. This is providing new trade opportunities for New Zealand, subject to the NZ-UK FTAand their accession to the CPTPP. In the future it may create more competition in our export markets too. It will also createopportunities for more collaboration on the global stage, especially where we align with the values and perspectives that matter to both economies.
Q: What does New Zealand need to do more, and less of, now and in the future?
MP: Because our food and fibre sector is orientated to international markets, we need to continue to pursue being the best we can be. This means achieving optimal standards, positioning ourselves to have the best integrity, facts, processes, and story for all the concerns that governments, markets, customers, and consumers may direct at us.
Whether these be from the position of protectionism or not, we still have to give ourselves the best chance of capturing opportunity. So, concerns about animal welfare, food safety, or environmental stewardship, e.g., water, soil, biodiversity, chemical and fertiliser usage, climate change, labour, the list goes on. These are the things we need to keep improving to position ourselves to open as many doors as possible, and to keep flexibility, adaptability, agility, and economic viability open to us.
We have already demonstrated plasticity through this pandemic, and we need to fully embrace a plasticity approach in our lives, our businesses, and how we engage with the world.
We need to be able to maintain our essence and values, while changing and reshaping the way we live, do business, trade, and collaborate with others, as we all grapple with significant global challenges.
Q: How has doing a Nuffield Scholarship helped you?
MP: The Nuffield Scholarship has been an important part of my personal and professional development. It’s been a stepping-stone for doing what I do now, on and off farm. The international networks, the doors of opportunity opened, the domestic and international insights as well as the ‘aha’ moments. These all contribute to my thinking, conversations, and ideas on the farm and in the world of trade.
That said, and without taking away from Nuffield, the older I get and the more I learn, it seems the more questions I have and the more I need to learn. I’d like to encourage all readers to keep that hunger to learn, take some confidence from the change we’ve already made on our farms, in our businesses and our whole industry with our systems thinking.
Let’s keep doing what we do best – producing top quality food and fibre to the best of our abilities.
Optimising all we do with high standards, care and integrity for our environment and natural resources, our people, communities, and for the economic viability of our businesses and nation.
Balanced with humility, we need to be able to hold our heads high and have pride in who we are and what we do. Keep being the best you can be.
2022 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships awarded.
Three emerging food and fibre sector leaders have been awarded 2022 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships. Each has received a personal letter of congratulations from Hon. Damien O’Connor, Minister of Agriculture, Minister for Trade and Export Growth, Biosecurity, Land Information, and Rural Communities.
The New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (NZRLT) is proud to announce the 2022 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship recipients. The Scholars are:
Parmindar Singh, a Waikato based Dairy Farm Manager, Company Director, and a recent master’s graduate.
Anthony Taueki, a horticulturalist from the Hawke’s Bay, leads horticulture courses at Fruition, New Zealand Apples and Pears, Tatau Tatau o te Wairoa, and many more.
Lucie Douma, leads a new team at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) looking at disruptions to domestic food and fibre supply chains, and primary sector COVID recovery.
Chris Parsons, NZRLT CEO said, “This group comes from the most diverse range of backgrounds we have seen in recent times. Each Scholar brings talent, passion, perspective, and a track record of performance. Their job now is to find insights and foresight to benefit our sector.
“We wish to acknowledge all those who applied. It is safe to say, there is some real talent in our regions. Selecting three Scholars this year has given our Trustees and the Industry National Advisory Committee the opportunity to fund the start-up of an exciting new programme, the Value Chain Innovation Programme. The intention will be to return to selecting five Scholars again next year”, said Parsons.
Covid 19 restrictions mean this year’s scholarship recipients’ formal awards ceremony at Parliament, will be delayed until February 2022, when Minister O’Connor will award the scholarships in person.
2022 Scholars will follow last year’s travel approach, contingent on the local and global pandemic travel situation. This lets scholars defer the international travel component of the programme until border restrictions permit.
Kate Scott, NZRLT Chair, said, “As part of their Nuffield journey, the three 2022 Scholars will also join the Value Chain Innovation Programme to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in front of our sector, before they venture abroad.
“The Scholarship will offer new opportunities and experiences through an immersive programme and will help to shape future world-class leaders for the New Zealand food and fibre sector” said Scott.
Their research topics are likely to cover a range of our biggest food and fibre challenges including, building resilience in our value chains, data interoperability, emerging market opportunities for trade in dairy, and finding sustainable pathways into the primary industries for rangatahi.
The three new Scholars will join more than 170 Nuffield Alumni awarded scholarships over the last 71 years.
Meet our 2022 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholars.
Lucie Douma
Agri-professional, Livestock Wellington
Lucie is of Dutch descent and is based in Wellington. She currently leads a new team at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) looking at disruptions to the domestic food and fibre supply chains, and primary sector COVID recovery.
Lucie has a Master of Science degree from Oxford University, where she studied human-wildlife conflict. Her initial research topics of interest are data interoperability or building resilience within the value chain.
Lisa Rogers, NZRLT Programme Manager, commented, “Lucie is a great example of the policy talent we have coming through in our sector. She is greatly invested in the future of agriculture in New Zealand.”
Parmindar Singh
Dairy farmer, Company Director Waikato
Parmindar is a fourth generation New Zealand dairy farmer of Indian descent. A company director and independent consultant, she is near completion of her master’s degree at Waikato University.
Parmindar’s research topic of interest is emerging market opportunities for trade in dairy. On her proposed research Parmindar says, “As a proud, intergenerational dairy farmer, my goal is to identify the shift that is occurring globally and identify future trade and market opportunities for New Zealand farmers.”
On Parmindar’s selection Lisa Rogers noted, “Parmindar is bright and fearless, with a lifetime of community involvement and entrepreneurship in the Agri-sector. Nuffield is lucky to have her as a Scholar.”
Anthony Taueki
Horticulturalist, Kaiako, Hawke’s Bay
A horticulturalist from the Hawke’s Bay, Anthony is of Ngati Kahungunu descent. He leads, organises, and conducts horticulture courses and training programmes with Fruition Horticulture, New Zealand Apples and Pears, Tatau Tatau o te Wairoa, Ministry of Social Development and Ngati Kahungunu Inc.
Passionate about helping rangatahi find sustainable pathways into primary industries, Anthony’s research topic of interest is growing opportunities from the roots up.
Of Anthony’s selection Lisa Rogers said, “Anthony is a natural leader who is highly collaborative. He has integrity, passion, and a strong desire to influence in New Zealand’s Agri-sector.”
“I look forward to working with all three of our Scholars over their scholarship journey”, Lisa Rogers said.
About Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships.
Nuffield Farming Scholarships have been offered to farmers, growers, fishers, and foresters since 1950. The scholarships were established in the United Kingdom by Lord Nuffield for farmers to explore best agricultural practice and facilitate innovation through sharing knowledge and ideas in food and fibre globally.
The scholarships are among the most respected awards in the food and fibre sector. They offer a life-changing opportunity for travel, study of the latest developments and an introduction to leaders and decision-makers around the world, who would not normally be accessible.
With a network of more than 1,600 alumni internationally, the programme continues to build New Zealand’s rural leadership capability and the food and fibre sector’s profile internationally.
Ryan O'Sullivan: Nuffield Farming Scholarship recipient (2017) - Major shareholder with wife Tina in a farm equity partnership, Fairlie, South Canterbury
Nuffield farming scholarships focus on the international perspective – where New Zealand fits in the global agri-food sector and what’s driving things. Through my scholarship travels and research, I’ve learned New Zealand is very well placed to produce food to meet consumer awareness and demands. Our milk is a fantastic product with great nutritional value and many diverse applications.
However, ensuring an ongoing demand for our milk means getting things right both inside and beyond the farm gate – and that takes quality leadership. Our sector needs to foster leaders and give them the tools to succeed, and grassroots farmers are the best people to navigate through the issues ahead.
That’s why money invested by sector organisations like DairyNZ to build that capability is well spent. Through Rural Leaders, the Nuffield and Kellogg programmes are providing a pipeline of potential leaders armed with knowledge and skills in the rural community. DairyNZ’s support is a big part of that.
On a more personal note, my Nuffield scholarship also gave me the confidence to get in front of audiences and share what I saw, and who I talked to helped me with my critical thinking and prompted me to go for some governance roles.
WE ARE not alone as New Zealand farmers, feeling the weight of change bearing down on us.
It is a global trend.
It has many different, complex drivers but two stand out – consumers’ willingness to pay for sustainability and farmers ability to capture it.
The resulting pressure is evident in a recent survey of Canadian farmers that found 45% have high levels of perceived stress, 58% met the criteria for anxiety classification and 35% met the criteria for depression.
A United States survey found 30% of farmers say mental health is a major problem for them, 48% of rural residents have more mental health challenges than a year ago, younger people are the most vulnerable and 91% of farmers/farm staff say financial issues and fear of losing their farms affect their mental health.
Recently in New Zealand a Ministry of Health Report presented to MPs showed suicide is up 20% in rural areas.
Across the world this year while doing my Nuffield Scholarship, I have seen incredible technical mastery in agriculture with yield increases, novel genetics, automation and precision and regenerative soil practices on a massive scale.
But the stats don’t lie. Farmers are under increasing pressure like never before.
To understand pressure I think there is no better place to start than with excellent Kiwi author and psychologist Dr Ceri Evans. In Evans’ book, ‘Perform Under Pressure’, he talks about pressure as high stakes, uncertainty, small margins, fast changes and judgment.
And after my travels I’ve added a sixth, ‘losing one’s identity’.
I would like to highlight the last three because I think that is what is different right now and not just in New Zealand. Farmers are feeling overwhelmed by the pace of expected change and we are feeling judged like never before. It all contributes to questioning our identity as farmers.
Evans talks about the red and blue parts of our mind in his book. He describes our red mind as the emotions side that helps us make quick decisions in the blink of an eye, the fight, flight or freeze skills we are conditioned with from birth. Our blue mind is the logical, systematic slower-thinking part. It helps us solve complex problems and communicate them to others.
The problem with pressure, like the situations we now face with freshwater and climate regulations is we feel the weight of expectations, scrutiny and consequences building up and it triggers our red brain.
We want to fight, we want to get out or just stop because we can’t see a future any more.
However, the focus needs on what we can control, not what we can’t.
As farmers we are well versed in managing around aspects we can’t control like the weather, trade distortions and currency and we have built robust systems to help influence the outcomes of this uncertainty the best we can.
How we think, however, is something psychologists agree we can control.
Twelve years ago New Zealand rugby realised it didn’t understand pressure either.
Today, I suggest our primary sector could take a lead from our ABs. We might have lost in the semi but even South African coach Rassie Erasmus recognises the All Blacks’ consistency makes them the team to benchmark off. Why? They have learned how they think is as important as their technical efficiency.
Our challenge individually and as a sector is to build on the great work started by FarmStrong and endorsed by the examples in Evans’ book. Can we build our ability to be more comfortable with the uncomfortable?
We have trained our All Blacks to become masters of better decision-making under pressure. Can we train ourselves?
The regulation coming at agriculture is the gap we must overcome. Considering the information that I have heard presented during my travels it’s not unrealistic given the demands of our customers and certainly tomorrow’s customers.
A good place to start and something every one of us can control is how we think under pressure. If you haven’t visited FarmStrong or seen Evans’ book, I recommend them.
PRICES are good and interest rates are low but farmers’ moods are down because the regulatory pressure gives them little hope for the future.
Researchers are furiously searching for more sustainable ways of farming food and fibre but what if there was a whole new sector that could provide a light at the end of the tunnel?
As Kiwis we are all rightly proud of having over 80% of electricity come from renewable energy.
But it’s a statistic that has made us complacent.
If you consider all energy sources in New Zealand – natural gas, oil, coal and other fuels used for industry and transport – we are only 40% renewable.
All that fossil fuel energy is responsible for about 40% of our total greenhouse gas emissions and that’s a discussion that gets lost in the shadow of the agricultural methane debate.
So, what if there are solutions that not only bring down agricultural GHG emissions but in doing so bring down our energy emissions too.
It turns out some of New Zealand’s largest ag-producing competitors have already figured this out.
In California every electricity user pays a levy that goes into a fund to support large, on-farm solar installations. Farms with 1MW of solar installed on about a hectare of panels are not uncommon, providing the farmer and the state with renewable power at a fraction of the capital cost to the farmer.
In Ireland, dairy farmers are incentivised to put solar on their roofs as are farmers across the European Union.
In Germany, Northern Ireland and California bio-digestors are being subsidised to take in slurry and excess food and crop waste to produce biogas that can be further refined into biomethane. It can then be injected into the existing natural gas network.
The opportunity that really shows promise is energy crops for biofuel.
New Zealand has a short, rocky history with biofuel but we are now lagging the world in biofuel development and are one of the few Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries without a minimum biofuel level in our fuel.
The International Energy Agency outlook sees biofuels as the major renewable transport fuel at least until 2050.
And yes, that beats electric vehicles.
Biofuel is already a big user of corn in the United States and of sugar beets in the EU. In New Zealand we have huge potential for energy crops – sugar beet and corn to get us started then tree crops of willow, pine, miscanthus and other high-volume cellulosic crops as technology develops.
So, as a dairy farmer I can picture having an acre of solar panels in an unused corner of the farm. Perhaps complemented with a wind turbine and a pipe or a tanker to take my slurry to the local bio-digester. The nutrients being returned in dry form to spread on my land and 10-20% of my dairy farm in an energy crop rotation that provides animal feed and allows me to economically drop my cow numbers, methane emissions and urine nitrates by the same amount.
And all using technology that is already available.
But the underlying success factor internationally might be hard to swallow here.
It will take more policy and regulation. But this time it would be to the benefit of farming.
The simple truth is fossil fuels will always be the cheaper option.
If we want change then we need the Government to intervene to create the right environment.
Policy makers in the EU and US are still trying to perfect that policy and it requires discussion from many sides but the US Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy are now working together to explore further renewable energy generation opportunities.
And that would be the first step here in New Zealand, a conversation that unites our national energy and agriculture strategies.
Wouldn’t it be great for New Zealanders to see agriculture not as the climate change problem but the climate change solution.
THERE is an increasing breakdown in the communications between young and older farmers and both are struggling to get what they want and need out of conversations.
We have a generation of farmers raised by parents who lived through World War II, which shaped their childhoods and where no one spoke about the emotional stuff of fear or weakness. No positive feedback was given or received for fear of getting a big head.
Contrast that with the generations entering the workforce today who are growing up with a constant stream of feedback via social media and online lives that is so constant they’ve never considered life could be any different.
It is no wonder our farming businesses are struggling to engage and motivate younger farm staff and those employed don’t feel valued or that they are contributing.
As someone who sits firmly in the middle of these two groups, taking over from my baby boomer father and now employing ever-increasing numbers of younger generations and school leavers. The contrast between young and old feels like the opposite ends of the paddock.
My recent Nuffield travels looking at the tech start-up world of the Silicon Valley and insights gained from those designing mobile and computer games highlighted just how constant the stream feedback is. Consciously part of the design to engage and keep players focused, gamers receive real-time feedback on their progress. They get constant updates on their travel towards the end goal including location, time remaining, amount of life or energy left, how much stuff they might have in inventory, even how other players are doing. Then, in some games, the screen or players might flash if in imminent danger.
Combine this thought with immediate likes or recognition for pictures and comments on social media and even the way our schooling system has changed from final exams for school cert, bursary or university study when I took them 15 years ago compared with NCEA and the achievement of credits throughout the year.
How does the type, volume and timing feedback we give on-farm compare? How has it evolved in the same time frame?
More than ever before those entering the workforce today crave continuous feedback.
They demand and respect those who can create a more responsive managerial style and those supervisors they can create a relationship with. The internet has created a culture of ongoing communication and intense connectedness so it is no surprise we are beginning to expect the same standards in the rest of our lives.
Those starting out in our rural industries are equally as ambitious and hardworking as all of those before them and all want to feel valued and part of our businesses.
To contribute they want to share opinions and bounce ideas in a constructive environment and regular feedback allows that to happen while irregular and unstructured feedback keeps the conversation one-sided and in the power of the boss.
Don’t mistake the need or call for continuous feedback as a self-indulgent need for praise.
More than ever the world of employment is highly competitive for those entering the workforce.
Entry level jobs require some level of on-farm experience and this uncertain, changing environment is a challenge different from the structured one of schools and universities.
The quest is not to tell me how good I am but more what can I do better to understand where they stand and how they are performing, all part of a desire to progress and develop.
The desire for training and development through learning experiences is reported as being higher in priority for those entering the workforce than all other on-the-job benefits. Alongside formal training, continuous feedback is training in itself, because it helps to establish clear and pragmatic next steps towards objectives, so is critical in keeping our staff challenged and inspired.
From where I sit I see business owners who underestimate the incredible demand for feedback from their staff, then struggle with the tools to give it, having never had it modelled in their own lives. Versus the increasing need from those employed, who are so used to getting it continuously, without asking, they don’t know how to ask for it.
How might we bridge this gap? What capacity do we need to build?
FARMING the world over as much as the context, production and scale vary, shows, as the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
After nearly six months on the road of my Nuffield journey I was struck by the similarities across continents and farming systems.
So many of the issues we face in New Zealand can be translated to our counterparts around the world.
This highlights that we have allies in dealing with the challenges we face and that we’re not in this alone.
In many developed countries there are the same concerns of the widening gap between urban and rural communities and the challenge of attracting people into their agricultural sectors.
At an agri-tech symposium in the American mid-west, plenty of cutting-edge ideas, gadgets and technologies were proposed and introduced to solve a myriad of issues. After two days of the symposium a panel of mostly young and engaged farmers was asked what their main concerns were. They repeated a familiar concern: finding staff, especially good staff.
The dairy farmers in Kenya I visited were concerned about connecting with their consumers though the connection is a more literal one – the actual logistics of getting their product to consumers elsewhere in Kenya, regardless of whether they are small subsistence farmers or larger more commercial operations.
A reliable supply chain is of more concern than perceptions of production.
Even so, their perception in the community still helps when the almost inevitable threat of land theft approaches.
Frustration in having a political voice is a common theme in many countries and agricultural sectors.
Within a few minutes of meeting the owner of a packing house in California he asked what I thought of President Donald Trump but he didn’t want to hear what I thought. He wanted to tell me what he thought. So much of what he vented was born out of frustration of not being represented in state or federal politics or in the general public.
So how does New Zealand differ?
New Zealand does have a great reputation and it has been enabled by our government and regulators.
The trust in our production systems and goodwill in terms of how New Zealand is perceived and behaves on the international scene is an asset for our industry.
The five Nuffield scholars benefitted in our travels from New Zealand’s international reputation.
The Christchurch massacre occurred while we were in the United States. Often the perceptions of New Zealand’s reaction from locals was one of sympathy for what had happened but also an appreciation of the community’s response and Government decisiveness.
Our nation’s reputation is more important to New Zealand’s agriculture than elsewhere. Take the red meat sector. More than 90% of what we produce is exported. Our reputation matters.
After a long day riding in the back of a van across nearly the length of Romania our group of scholars reached Bulgaria. Rather worn out and hungry we found a nice enough place to eat. Lo and behold, there was New Zealand lamb on the menu.
Nothing else on the menu hinted as to where it came from. Somewhere on the border between Romania and Bulgaria our reputation still carried weight. Perhaps it was the only thing any locals would know of New Zealand.
It really hit home that our community is here, our customer is there. The appreciation for New Zealand’s image and all that it entails is valued by our customers. Yet a lot of the headwinds that are buffeting New Zealand’s agriculture sector and rural communities are generated locally.
I saw some perverse outcomes of government involvement in industries and, though I’m reluctant to admit, there might be some benefits.
For example, in Ireland, if society decides an action such as conservation or environmentalism is a priority that benefits wider society at a cost to the producer, wider society contributes in some form – whether through taxpayer-funded support or at the local checkout.
On returning to New Zealand it feels as though the support and validity gained through regulation has changed. The inundation of regulatory and societal pressure is wearing on rural communities. However, we’re not alone in this. There are seismic shifts happening globally.
The detachment between the community and consumer means the cost of demands on production are difficult to meet. Ultimately, though, the Garden of Eden can’t be demanded without someone needing to pay the full price for having that shiny apple.
AFTER almost half of this year travelling the world there are a lot of thoughts in my head regarding agriculture and farming.
The biggest take-home for me is the universal problem of people wanting what they haven’t got simply through believing the grass is always greener over the fence and genuinely not understanding agriculture and what is involved in food production.
This fact was spelled out very clearly to me when two environmentally minded vegans in Germany told me the problem with German agriculture was that the cows were inside a lot of the time and farmers should put their cows outside all year like New Zealand farmers do.
Of course, that bought a smile from me because in NZ the green movement wants us to put our cows inside to be more like Europe.
So, who do we believe and who is right?
It is the same argument with synthetic meat, this seemingly new food on the block is going to save the planet and the people.
My question is how can a multi-ingredient, heavily processed, made-in-a-factory product even be compared to ruminant protein?
Nutritionists and health professionals all talk of whole, nutrient-dense foods consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Animal meat is the ultimate whole food, laden with nutrients and, best of all, it can be eaten without any process intervention.
In the 1980s and 1990s everyone was going to die prematurely from heart disease from eating too much butter and the alternative and golden ticket to eternal life was margarine. Now, in 2019, there is very little margarine sold as the apparent health benefits actually never came to be.
Genetically modified plants are almost enemy number one world over through misinformation about pesticide use and apparent food safety concerns.
The marketers and lobbyists will have you believe GM has led to huge increases in chemical use and it has been a campaign to sell agrichemicals by large, multi-national companies.
In truth GM was designed so farmers would apply less chemicals, both insecticides and herbicides, and the companies would make their money selling the patented seeds.
GM corn, for example, contains a naturally occurring fungus (Bacillus thuringiensis). BT, as it’s known, is registered as the safest organic insecticide in organic and biological farming when used on its own and yet because it has been bred to occur in corn it is labelled as hazardous by the very people calling for safe food.
At some point all western countries are going to face a wall of loud, anti-farming noise and governments will respond to the voters.
In the Netherlands, France and Germany we are seeing populations calling for more regulation to limit productivity.
Farmers, personally, will be the collateral damage in what will result and this will happen in NZ at some point.
What the people making the noise fail to grasp is the effect they have on people.
Recently, I was asked by a panel about my thoughts on morale in agriculture considering how good prices are.
My response was simple. Morale is extremely low and will remain so as farmers feel targeted.
They are made to feel responsible for a multi-generational production model that successive governments and regulators have promoted.
They feel targeted by a media seemingly interested in a story and they feel targeted by groups that understand only small parts of what are very complex systems.
I can tell you first hand when you criticise what a farmer does you criticise them, their home and their very reason for being.
It is not like criticising a company that can hide behind a name. The effects are real and they are very personal. Farming is a very emotional-laden occupation and farmers feel genuinely responsible for producing a good product for those who choose not to do it themselves.
The regulations facing agriculture will not go away and they they will almost certainly change in form and the way they are administered but regulation is probably here to stay if what is happening in other countries happens here.
It seems the life of any regulation begins as noise that gets louder regardless of the facts.
We have to remember our farms are outdoor factories and what we do can be openly seen by anyone who drives down the road.
By default that makes us targets unlike any indoor factory where trucks go in one side and out the other and something mysterious happens inside.
In general, people talk only about small components of our farming systems but talk as if they are experts and you have to think that just because I have teeth, it doesn’t make me a dentist.
The challenge for agriculture is to find a way through by understanding what the people want and in doing so try to explain why farming is so complex, diverse and at the same time the noblest occupation.
Nuffield Scholars for 2019 announcement at Parliament. Photo by Mark Coote/markcoote.com
Well done to Lucy Griffiths who was recently appointed by Minister Damien O’Connor to the independent Investment Advisory Panel (IAP) for Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures).
The advisory panel provides independent expert advice on both funding proposals and active programmes in NZ’s food and fibre industries. There is a $40 million fund available each year to support innovation in this sector, and the panel only advises on applications $5 million and over. Find out more.
Mat Hocken was announced as the 2019 Rabobank Emerging Leader at the Rabobank Leadership Awards on Thursday night (28th November). Our congratulations go out to Mat who is the first kiwi to receive this award!
The Rabobank Leadership Awards are held annually recognising the contribution of leaders from across New Zealand and Australia’s food and agribusiness sector. The 2019 event marked the 20th anniversary of the awards and the first occasion the awards dinner had been held in New Zealand. Find out more.
Mat Hocken – 2019 Rabobank Emerging Leader Award Recipient
Waikato based, Dairy Environment Leader, Dairy Farmer and recently appointed Dairy NZ board member, Tracy Brown is one of five scholars from across industry sectors awarded a Nuffield NZ Scholarship. The scholarships were announced on Tuesday, 5th November at parliament by Hon Stuart Nash, Minister of Police, Fisheries, Revenue, and Small Business.
Alongside Tracy Brown,
the recipients of Nuffield NZ Farming Scholarships for 2020 are Shannon
Harnett, Whakatane based Agriculture and Horticulture Director; Waikato based
Phil Weir, Dry Stock Farmer and Agri business Consultant; Southland based
Edward Pinckney, director/owner of a dairy farm and sheep, beef and grazing
farm, Marlborough based Ben McLauchlan, owner of a 102 H vineyard and 30 H beef
finishing unit in Rapaura.
The Nuffield Scholarships
with the three core components provide new Scholars with an opportunity to
travel abroad in groups and individually and study the latest developments in a
number of leading agricultural countries.
“The reputation and
prestige of a Nuffield Scholarship opens the doors for new Scholars to access international businesses like Amazon, John Deere and Blue
Apron – businesses that are behind and beyond the farm gate. No other programme can offer this type of
access to these globally recognised companies” says Nuffield NZ Chairman Andrew
Watters.
Ms Brown who is a champion for
sustainability, and has been leading environmental change in the dairy industry for
nearly a decade sees the Scholarship as an opportunity to gain insight into the
policies and processes other countries are using to create positive
environmental change.
“While I have been active in the NZ
environmental space, this experience will enable me to gain the international
networks and experience that will add to my effectiveness in the roles I have
or will have in the future” says Ms Brown.
The
five new scholars will join more than 160 Nuffield alumni who have been awarded
Nuffield Scholarships over the past 70 years. The 2020 research topics are
likely to cover issues such as – Understanding the international policies and
processes that have created positive environmental change; How Plant Variety Rights provide growers the opportunity to successfully
develop new business internationally; Exploration of the NZ primary sector
to determine if there are fundamental barriers restricting collaboration;
developing and growing our young people entering the agricultural sector; Enhancing
the sustainability of Viticulture by lessening its reliance on scarce
resources.
This will hopefully be the last E-Nuff in the current format, as we develop a new look e-newsletter which covers the activities of ‘Rural Leaders’ and includes updates on both programmes.
Much of what
we want to say is relevant to both groups of alumni (some of who overlap) so the
new E newsletter will have organisation updates with the option to click
through to the latest Nuffield or Kellogg news including scholar reports,
insights and updates specific to each programme or group of alumni.
Our ‘E-Nuff’ & ‘Kellogg Konnect’ will be retained for use when conversing with each group on a programme only basis.
We Need a Name – Win the prize!
We are looking for a name for our new Rural Leaders E Newsletter. Get your creative juices going and send in some ideas and win a prize and the honour of renaming our newsletter.
A new initiative for 2019, 6 regions were chosen to host a Regional
Alumni networking event, bringing together different cohorts and both
Kellogg and Nuffield alumni. With Napier/Hastings,
Tauranga, Whangarei, Blenheim, Gore & Hamilton locations there was a mix of
our smaller and larger regions.
The purpose of the initiative was to provide a vehicle for:
alumni to meet each other – across programmes
& cohorts
reconnect with Rural Leaders & its developments
as a new Trust
introduce potential new applicants to both
programmes
hear the reports and experience of a recent
Nuffielder and Kellogger from the region
investing partners regional reps to connect with
alumni for B2B and network development
One of the highlights demonstrating the power and history of
the programmes was in Waikato where we had an original Kellogger from Course 1
1979 and a current Kellogger from Course 40. Similar span of alumni years were
also seen in other regions.
After fantastic feedback, despite the late timing of the
events, the plan is to roll out the concept in 6 more regions next year. Meanwhile we will work with each of the recent
region hosts to determine a sustainable networking format for the future.
Feedback has been really positive about the benefits of
networking and potentially providing some upskilling opportunities and/or
providing a voice on some regional issues although in some regions we battle the
problem of distance with some having to drive over 2 hours each way to attend a
central location.
The recruitment of a full time marketing person will
provide a much needed resource and ability to be much more effective with our
external and internal communications and relationships and keeping the brand
presence throughout the year. We hope to report our new appointment in the next
newsletter in early December.
A board sub committee has been working with Scott Champion
on refining our strategy and business plan over the next few years as we
respond to market changes but more importantly work on developing and growing
our alumni programme and influence.
Our 2020 Nuffield Scholarships have recently closed
and the selection process is underway. This year we have a good number of
female candidates with six being shortlisted so we hope that we can achieve a
better gender balance this year. The
Awards will be held at Parliament, hosted by Hon Damien O’Connor, on 5 November
(a relevant place to be on Guy Fowkes). Watch for the pre announcement email to
alumni announcing the 2020 scholars.
The Awards will be preceded by a forum with the 2019
Scholars sharing their global insights and discussing implications for the
industry with our investing partners & Trustees, hosted by KPMG.
The Nuffield2020 Triennial is gaining momentum with
an updated programme released and registrations opening on 1 September. Check
out the website here https://www.nuffield2020.com/programme.
We are really pleased to welcome some new partners who have come
on board to support this international event alongside our existing Rural
Leader investing partners. Check out the next Triennial EDM for the latest details
& updates. The one day Summit is shaping up to be a great event and watch
out for speaker announcements shortly.
The support of our New Zealand alumni to attend and host our international guests is critical to the success as we want to showcase some of our leading business models, on farm and environmental practices and agri tech to our international colleagues & guests.
Chair, Michael Tayler and the team are hoping all alumni
will use the event to encourage reunions of your Nuffield cohort and
international networks.
Upcoming Events
Kellogg Course 1 2020 Applications close: 14 October
2020 Nuffield Scholar Awards: 5
November
2019 Scholar Insights Forum: 5 November
Kellogg Course 40 phase 3 presentations: 25-28 November
Nuffield2020 Early bird registrations close: 30 November
United States – Czech Republic – Bulgaria – Romania – Qatar – Kenya
The Global Focus Orogramme (GFP) was an incomparable opportunity to see a diversity of agriculture in across a variety of countries. We were given candid insight into our hosts businesses, operations, motivations for being in agriculture and what they want to give back, even bringing our group of nine scholars into their homes for a cup of tea, meal or a drink.
These frank and open conversations were some of the highlights for me personally, where some hosts would openly discuss some of their business and personal challenges in agriculture. I found these moments golden, particularly in the middle of a leadership development opportunity as the Nuffield Scholarship. But it was gratifying to give back to some hosts in helping in their current challenges with the varied opinions and experiences of the nine scholars.
Travelling with the group of Nuffield scholars was invaluable experience and formed friendships that will last. After seeing some amazing and challenging aspects of global agriculture, the opportunity to discuss this with a diverse group of young agricultural leaders from different sectors and countries – Brazil, Canada, USA, Ireland and Australia (and Tasmania) – drew so much more out of the experience. We all had our different backgrounds, contexts and perspectives to bring to these discussions, and we need not agree – I’m writing this in the home of one of the scholars that we have some disagreements on fundamental elements of agriculture.
There was so much to see during the GFP through Washington DC, Kentucky, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Qatar and Kenya. It would be difficult to concisely describe just the highlights from each country so I have focused on a couple overarching observations from the two countries that were probably the most different from New Zealand – Qatar and Kenya.
Qatar
The context we were given on arrival to Qatar – other than the immense wealth of the small gulf state – was the shadow cast by the blockade. The blockade by many of Qatar’s neighbours has been in place since June 2017, impacting their previous food supply chain through countries such as Saudi Arabia. Food security was a major driver the majority food production and supply businesses we saw due to the very real and near threat of not being able to import food in a small desert nation.
After the initial awe of seeing some of these amazing agricultural feats – such as dairy farming and growing fodder in the desert – I got the impression that there was prestige than production in these operations. This was reinforced when we saw the largest grain importer and miller that had impressive logistical, processing and storage capability to maintain supply and volume – production was not a part it. Does livestock production count as food security when it is limited by the volume of imported feed? Would it not be simple to utilise the more efficient production from around the world and advance the logistical solutions and storage capability?
If you removed the heat and oxygen, some of the production might be what one would imagine farming on the moon may be. This pushing the boundaries of production are worth taking note as a demonstration of what is possible but, in the context of a variety of growing global social concerns around agriculture, may be limited in its impact.
However, in the position that Qatar has been put in, the prestige of these feats can be understood. Drawing a line in the sand, so to speak, to show what they can do despite of the imposition by their neighbours. Qatar’s response to this situation appeared to create a national pride and social inclusion in the achievements being made.
Kenya
An afternoon spent with Kenyan smallholders that are part of a collective, similar to our discussion group, set me straight on some of my assumptions that I had developed. We frequently saw some agricultural practices through central Europe and Kenya that would not be generally accepted in our own farming industries, but this group changed my view I had formed of smallholder and subsistence farming. The intensity and diversity of what they were able to do on such small plots was remarkable – but this may be also be a limitation – and were organised and actively seeking ways to improve their production and position.
We held a panel session with the smallholder collective and we were asked directly how they could become farmers that were able to travel the world like ourselves. A common view from our Nuffield group was simplifying their production to what works well and not trying to do everything and anything – one farm had dairy cattle, sheep, honey, pyrethrum, fruit, vegetables, chickens and fodder with the excess to be sold. However, as smallholders they were more exposed by a crop failure and require a level of diversity for security.
On reflection, I saw the infrastructure and economic limitations created by political climate was a significant hindrance on developing production and ability to trade. This is not a simple fix as impacts the wider economy and, despite some the frustrations we me have in our own countries, gave me a great appreciation for context we are able to operate and trade.
The second major eye-opener in Kenya also related to this political climate. We visited farming operations that had been established for a long time – whether multi-generational family farms, internationally funded agri-businesses or NGOs – which have invested in their local communities and introduce adapted and sustainable production methods to Kenyan agriculture. Each of these had either been or were currently involved in land invasions by graziers or land grabbers that can have violent or even lethal outcomes. The political climate often exacerbates or can drive these conflicts.
However, Kenya has a young population that is more and more educated, and, while there was some significant signs of poverty – such as the largest slum in Africa – there was large growth in relative affluence. The combination of increasing wealth and a young educated population coming through generates huge potential for their economy – if they can overcome some of their institutional handbrakes.
The GFP has been transformative for myself. It has raised more questions than were answered of my understanding of global agriculture, but my understanding and empathy of the situations in which these questions are formed has expanded immensely. While not perfect, I have a greater appreciation of the circumstances that the New Zealand agriculture sector can operate in and that we can deliver to the world.
Singapore – Philippines – Hong Kong – China – Germany – United States
Reflecting on six weeks traveling
around the world with our China GFP group and the opportunity to contrast Asia,
Europe and America, I am struck not by the differences between countries or
continents but more importantly the similarities. I observed relationships and
trust are common to success anywhere in the world and the importance innovation
and adaptability has for surviving and thriving.
Singapore
On the 5th of June I
joined nineteen other scholars in Singapore for a brief introduction of South
East Asia and it was quickly illustrated the size and impact the region has on
our current and future markets. Singapore has and is positioning itself as an
independent and secure hub to facilitate trade in the area. It was also the
start of forming a bond with a group of diverse individuals from different
backgrounds spanning different production systems and seven different
countries.
Philippines
Manilla and the Philippines was the
breakaway, providing our smaller group of ten a brief but exciting stop, not
only for the cheep beer and food but a quick insight into what much of the SE
Asian region is still like, managing its way through developmental projects as
it lifts population out of subsistence. Visiting the International Rice Research
Institute we learnt that over four billion people every day rely on rice as a
stable challenging me to consider my own lack of knowledge of such a
significant part of the worlds food equation.
Hing Kong, SAR China
Hong Kong into the middle of Human
Right protests gave an insightful view of the main event China, and our building anticipation continued. Our
group had begun to form into a cohesive unit, efficient use of public
transport, coordinated logistics, more concentrated questioning and inquiry and
the ability to adapt to the challenges presented, showed we were becoming a
great team holding us in good stead for the remainder of our travel.
China
Having visited Shanghai once
previously it was exciting to see many of the groups perceptions shattered on
discovery that it is a clean, organised and developed city (albeit with
26million people).
Introductions with MLA, ADM etc amongst
the others from the ANZ, Cotton Inc, JWM, CBH and Syngenta over the last ten
days had given the obligatory introductions so with the excitement of kids is a
toyshop we rode a bullet train at 315km/ hr for Qihe in the Shandong province.
The size and scale of China became
evident as we witnessed the changes moving north and inland. Highways with
several lanes in either direction, multi number high rise complexes popping up
and the efficiency of nearing 30,000 km of high speed rail network built in the
last decade were all on show making the fact that China has used more concrete
in the three years than the USA the did in the entire 20th century
very real and relevant.
The realisation that there are two
separate economies in China, became evident as we confronted the existing
subsistence of small holdings in rural areas contrasted with enormous dairy
farms and processing facilities. This acted as a metaphor illustrating
difference between the large developed coastal cities and large parts of rural
China growing at quite separate rates. We learned that in 40 years China has
gone from 17.9% to 58.5% urbanised meaning a shift of some 640 million people
to urban areas. Following a similar trend of urbanisation, another 15-20% means
approximately another 220-250 million shifting to Cities in the ten years
(equal to about two thirds of the current US population).
Seeing the importance of trade
within China between its people and regions, and accounting for the fact China
has approximately 1.4 billion people and only 7% of the worlds arable land. It
became evident we need China as much as China needs the world. We encountered
willing and open people, doing good business in the ways similar to all of our
countries. Sharing a formal meal with a group of officials it became obvious
the importance of relationships and how they are formed. Like anywhere in the
world the level of that trust facilitates the exchange, however it is the
cultural diversity or rituals around the way in which that trust its formed
that differs between people.
European Union, Germany & Ireland
Inner Mongolia and Beijing rounded out China before jumping into Europe and the precision and efficiency of Germany. We were fortunate to see some of the contrasts between east and west as we travelled from one to the other. This allowed us to gain some insight into the challenges facing further eastern bloc countries and when overcome their potential for large scale production of food.
The role of the EU was evident as we toured Germany and Ireland but what became obvious was that successful enterprises has mastered their production in a two to three areas and continued to innovate at the edges. I was particularly impressed by the way these successful businesses demonstrated fast feedback loops created providing useful information to launch or pivot when changes arose.
Washington, DC
Our two GFP Groups combined once
again, this time in Washington DC to come face to face with the position the
USA has and continues to play on a global geopolitical spectrum. It was cool to
catch up with a similar Nuffield group and share our experience as it
highlighted how much we have seen and how close the experience of a Nuffield
GFP brought our particular group together. A welcomed rest day could have been
used to recharge or some time to ourselves but we unconsciously chose to come together, spending the time riding lime
scooters visiting the sites of the Capitol!
I will never understand the
complexity of the US and its political system, especially in three short days
but some context from meetings with Senators, lobbyists and the USDA allowed
insights not many get the opportunity to have. However, I came away thinking
again that USA is an enormous engine with many hierarchical layers, entrenched
views and complex processes of government so that like an aircraft carrier it
has very little ability to change direction and when it does only one degree at
a time.
Texas, United States
If Iowa was the start of our
Nuffield in March, Texas provided the perfect book end. Over six weeks we met
many proud and passionate people sharing their businesses and stories. None
more so than Texans which highlighted an observation that a strong sense of
identity provides real power in a market. The Chinese had very a strong sense
of being Chinese despite incredible diversity, the truly Irish – Irish brand
capturing value for what we recognise from Ireland, and Go Texan slogan all
illustrating shared history and values for those regions. My observation is
that we are all individuals but get a real sense of motivation and engagement
from belonging to a team and in these last two cases has translated to market
positioning from combined effort.
Over six weeks visiting farm businesses, industry bodies and political institutions were heard talk all over the world of the challenges being faced with environmental regulation, the growing disconnect with agriculture, human resource limitations, no succession planning, undervalued food or lack of profitability in our farming enterprises just to name a few, which brings me back to where this started. I am struck by the similarities the agricultural world is facing.
The problems and challenges all over the world over are the same, just they are dressed in different clothes.
I have been very fortunate to contrast seven countries and three continents in six weeks with a group of intelligent agriculturalists. They have helped me to look at things from different angles and to process what we have seen, at each stage challenging me to ask a better question with new information gathered!
We could never hope to have understand the world in that time, or find the answers to questions but what I am incredibly grateful for is the knowledge, experience and insights gained to continue learning and asking better questions!
GFP Brazil: Seven International Scholars, Six Weeks, Five Countries
Washington DC
At the conclusion of the Nuffield conference in Iowa, our
GFP group left the melting snow and ice for Washington DC. The political engine
in the US is both impressive and scary. We met with many agricultural lobby
groups and the US Department of Agriculture. Trade is at the top of the agenda
with many still supporting the full fair and free trade message despite the
pain inflicted on the rural communities by the current trade war with China.
Interim subsidy programs are in place to keep farmers happy but on the day of
our departure the administration announced cuts to farmer support programs,
including crop insurance, in an effort to cut spending. My key learnings came
from the experienced Washington players.
Focus
your messaging on the ‘movable middle’ population
Having
experience being lobbied makes you a better lobbyist.
Politics
is all about networks
The NZ
Embassy in Washington has a great bar in the basement for networking.
Florida
Down the coast in Florida we saw a state that is aiming to
take over from California as the produce capital of the US. We saw blueberries,
carrots, tomatoes, sweetcorn, nuts all grown on large scale and timed to fit
into a value window where, for a few weeks each year, Florida is the source of
produce for the major US supermarkets. Most family farmers are at the mercy of
brokers and manufacturers for pricing but a few are looking to innovative
marketing ideas of their own (Satsuma chapstick anyone?).
I was very impressed with the community extension service
of the University of Florida. Their experienced agents have created outstanding
demonstrations, facilities, programs and guides to pass on the University’s
research and knowledge to farmers and the general community. Despite the US
administration’s current views on climate change, the University is performing
research on GHG mitigation, particularly with animals, that we should watch
closely. Key Florida lessons
Controlling
more of the value chain is more profitable but requires more capital, risk and
knowledge.
Focus
on your window of value in the market.
Don’t
be afraid to try something completely new
Farm
near a beach – it helps with managing stress
Mexico
The visit to Mexico was very short with two days spent at
CIMMYT, the wheat research facility near Obregon. The farmer run facility is
completely a not-for-profit that develops parent genetics of wheat to breeders
around the world. They also run plant breeder training programs and help the
local farmers of Sonoma State with everything from agronomic advice to irrigation
infrastructure. We also visited a local grain cooperative and finished off with
a walking tour of Mexico City. The history of this city is amazing having being
built on the ruins of the Aztec empire. The blending of the native bloodlines
with the colonising Spanish is creating a modern challenge in defining the
nations identity not unlike our own.
Key Mexican lessons:
Farming
doesn’t always have to be about making a dollar (or peso).
There
is a bright future for well-run cooperatives.
Pride
in your identity is a powerful marketing message.
Brazil
Our Brazilian leg started in the capital Brasilia, a city of 4 million people that was just farmland sixty years ago. It was founded as the development of Brazilian land headed east away from the coast during a time when much of central and northern Brazil was opened up for agriculture. In the 1970s Brazilian farming families from the south moved north to open up farmland for cropping with new technology and financial incentives. With so much land available, family farms in this area now often exceed 50,000 ha.
With land development came pressure on natural resources, particularly the rainforest and soils. Brazilian farmers and government have responded quickly to these issues with 60% of all crops in Brazil now using no till systems and a Forestry Code that protects large tracts of the native rainforest. There is also a great awareness among farmers of how the Amazon forest contributes to the highly valued rainfall patterns in Brazil.
We saw a range of highly developed, innovative and massive
farming operations that are held back by a lack of political stability and
logistics to move produce to port. If these two issues were to be resolved,
Brazil would rival any country in the world as an agricultural powerhouse.
Key lessons from Brazil:
Our
natural environment is important for our own success and for our public
reputation. We must work harder to protect it. If Brazil can do it so can we.
NZ
exports competing on price or volume has a limited life
Genetic
engineering is at the core of Brazilian agriculture development. Would we be
left behind without it?
Netherlands
Our tour of the Netherlands focused on the centre of the
country with visits to pig, dairy, flower and vegetable farms. To me the
country was one big garden and a testament to the innovative thinking of the
Dutch – intricate drainage networks, reclaimed land, robotic dairies, wind
turbines, fields of glass houses (even a university inside a glass house).
Digging into the success of Dutch agriculture two key
factors emerge.
Animal
based agriculture in the Netherlands relies on cheap imported (GE) grains
through the local port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest seaport.
A
European customer base of over 500 million people all within easy trucking
distance of the Netherlands and all within a single customs market (EU).
The Netherlands has an input based environmental regulation
(e.g. stocking rate and fertiliser rate limits) compared to New Zealand’s
output based regulation (you can do what-ever you like so long as you don’t
leach above a certain number). The result appears to be a tick box exercise to
get the environmental subsidy without a deeper understanding of why the
practices are important or what else farmers could be doing to improve
environmental outcomes. For example soil moisture monitoring was not common
under irrigation nor were buffer strips used to prevent sediment runoff.
Key lessons from the Netherlands:
Technology
and innovation can overcome nearly any obstacle
Look
for your unique advantages and exploit them.
Be
wary of statistics – Netherlands is Europe’s largest ag exporter but only
because it imports a third of that produce through Rotterdam (the Netherlands
exported $500 million of bananas last year but didn’t grow a single one.)
Output
based environmental regulation is a greater challenge to implement but creates
a better long term outcome than input based regulation.
New
Zealand
The final week of the GFP was spent in the Nelson and
Marlborough regions touring previous Nuffielder’s innovative farming
operations.
Andy Elliot (2018 Scholar) introduced us to aquaculture at
the Cawthron Institute and Wakatu. Cawthron Institute is a pioneer in shellfish
spat production. Wakatu, a shining example of the booming Maori economy, grows
out the shellfish in the Marlborough Sounds and has developed its story into a
successful brand and 500 year business plan.
Julian Raine (1997 Scholar) showed us Wai West
Horticulture, a multiple family owned business growing apples, kiwifruit and
boysenberries near Nelson. He is currently exploring nutraceutical applications
of the fruit in China. Julian’s other projects include his role on the Primary
Sector Council (a concept the other scholars were very impressed with) and
Oakland Dairies. Oakland Dairies milks a small herd on the Nelson city boundary
and provides most of the food service outlets in Nelson with A2 milk in glass
bottles. There are also a few local vending machines which are very popular
with the locals. His Aunt Jeans brand is distributing the milk nationwide.
Murray King (2003 Scholar) has strong ties to dairy and is
particularly proud of his latest joint venture Appleby Farms, an ice cream
producer in Nelson. Appleby has clocked up a string of successes since
launching in 2017. A New Zealand gold medal ice cream award within 12 months
and is now available in 380 stores in
New Zealand. I would recommend the Bad Boys and Berries (Boysenberry) flavour!
John Palmer (1989 Scholar) has had the odd governance role
in New Zealand but is now focused on his family farm growing pip fruit, hops
and kiwifruit in Nelson. He also introduced us to the McCashin family hop
operation, an inspiring story of growth and innovation in a niche market.
Hamish Murray’s (2019 scholar) family farm Bluff Station
near Kekerengu suffered massive damage in the Kaikoura earthquake but is
rebuilding into a strong, multigenerational family business. As is John Murphy
(2014 Scholar) who is growing family business Marlborough Garlic into a
producer of high quality garlic and shallots while always looking for new
opportunities (keep an eye out for Garlic Noir).
A flying visit to Wellington to visit Ministers O’Conner
and Shaw to talk the future of farming, and stops at MPI’s economic research
unit and Beef and Lamb to discuss strategy and Taste Pure Nature left us all
feeling very impressed with the state of NZ ag and the other GFP scholars
looking at the local real estate ads in the hopes of moving here!
Key lessons from New Zealand
Farmers
tend to like working on their own but the success of the business we saw relied
on strong partnerships and teams.
Tell
your story using six words (Thanks for the advice Julian!)
Kiwi
hospitality is second to none.
The GFP experience highlighted to me the diversity in opportunities and challenges that exist in agriculture around the world. Ultimately most agricultural markets were trying to do two things – at a macro level, feed 9 billion mouths by 2050 while at a micro level, add value to produce to generate greater profitability. And achieve both while minimising environmental impact.
New Zealand is as well placed as any nation to achieve this goal.
Many thanks to the many farmers, businesses, organisers and
sponsors who made this experience possible and to my GFP travel mates who
shared many insights, experiences and laughs along the way.
I look forward to my personal travel where the real work begins!
We have a dichotomy in New Zealand agriculture at present. On the one hand we have favourable economic conditions with good prices for most of our products, a very favourable exchange rate and record low interest rates. And yet despite this, farmer confidence is flat, reflecting increasing government regulation, uncertainty in general business confidence and uncertainties in the dairy sector.
We are clearly undergoing a paradigm shift that is affecting agricultural production systems. We are being forced to face some of the externalities of farming; the need to address nutrient loss and greenhouse gas emissions. And at the same time, agricultural markets are changing with new groups of consumers willing to focus their purchase decisions on environmental and animal welfare attributes which determine food as ‘good food’ and ‘bad food’.
A step change in approach to water quality was delivered by Minister David Parker and supporting ministers as your trustees met in Wellington to complete our shortlist for 2019 scholar selection. And class 40 from the Kellogg program were also right in the thick of it with their stage two module involving meetings with NGOs on both sides of the debate and the Minister of Agriculture.
I think at heart, most farmers and growers are individuals who highly value discretion and relatively unfettered decision making, and this is being challenged. For some of us, our economic future is also being challenged.
The conclusion of at least the Kellogg attendees was that farmers are not going to be able to change the tide; the change is now inevitable.
As farming leaders with broad and long-term perspectives, Nuffield members have a unique opportunity to help our Agri-food industries to form a positive vision and action plan for the future. This will involve land use change, ever a feature of the New Zealand landscape. It will involve planning, monitoring and new management practices and systems. It will require our co-ops and other exporters to develop and foster new value chains.
Perhaps the opportunity is for us to ensure the requirement for regulation and change is leveraged to support our position as food producers with products which have unique attributes and a unique story. We know that such an approach requires assurance and that our ‘good food’ needs to be traceable.
We know intrinsically that we produce food as sustainably and naturally as anyone, yet we can’t take our position for granted. Grain-fed beef produced in feedlots is being dubbed ‘bad’ by millennial consumers yet the impossible burger with circa 20 ingredients including GMO is ‘good’. Let’s ensure that our position stands scrutiny and we can achieve win-win outcomes.
There is a section in this ENUFF about the Nuffield 2020 triennial – an important event in your 2020 calendar. Thanks are extended to Michael Taylor and his committee for their excellent work.
Your trustees were pleased to consider 20 applicants for the 2020 Nuffield Scholarships which we have shortlisted to 10 interviewees. We have six women, four men, a dominance of farmer/grower applicants and good coverage across dairy, sheep and beef, viticulture and horticulture.
The next time we write will be to inform you of the successful applicants.
Details will be out soon but HOLD THIS DATE and START ROUNDING UP YOUR COHORT
We hope to keep your leadership juices going with an exciting and different one day event with some topical and new international and NZ speakers and panels. Part of the Nuffield2020 series of events & open to the wider industry- this will be a bigger and different one day event to our inaugural 2017 Kellogg Summit! There will be events scheduled around the one day Summit for Kelloggers to reconnect and explore!
Check out the website here for initial information.
Get your cohort together and organise a reunion in Christchurch!.
Come along and bring a potential Nuffielder or Kellogger as a guest!
A new initiative to connect all our alumni in each region with a chance to;
meet and connect with other Kelloggers & Nuffielders in your region
bring and introduce someone who may be interested in doing a Kellogg or Nuffield programme in 2020 or in future
hear some insights from recent Nuffield & Kellogg scholar reports
connect with possible mentors/mentees
give feedback and interest in ongoing professional development or local initiatives
We have to start somewhere and have identified 6 regions for this year and will then will do different regions next year. Invitations will be sent to all alumni in those regions in next week.
Hawkes Bay – 13th August, Hawkes Bay
Bay of Plenty – 14th of August, Mt Maunganui
Nelson/Marlborough – 15th August, Blenheim
Northland – 20th August, Whangarei
Southland/Otago – 22nd August, Gore
Waikato – 27th August, Hamilton
Not in these regions?
If you know some potential Kelloggers or YOU can attend one of the below, we would love to see you or them!! Just contact usprogrammes@ruralleaders.co.nz as the invitation to the forums will only go to those in each region.
Come along and bring a potential Nuffielder or Kellogger as a guest!
A new initiative to connect all our alumni in each region with a chance to;
meet and connect with other Kelloggers & Nuffielders in your region
bring and introduce someone who may be interested in doing a Kellogg or Nuffield programme in 2020 or in future
hear some insights from recent Nuffield & Kellogg scholar reports
connect with possible mentors/mentees
give feedback and interest in ongoing professional development or local initiatives
We have to start somewhere and have identified 6 regions for this year and will then will do different regions next year. Invitations will be sent to all alumni in those regions in next week.
Hawkes Bay – 13th August, Hawkes Bay
Bay of Plenty – 14th of August, Mt Maunganui
Nelson/Marlborough – 15th August, Blenheim
Northland – 20th August, Whangarei
Southland/Otago – 22nd August, Gore
Waikato – 27th August, Hamilton
Not in these regions?
If you know some potential Kelloggers or YOU can attend one of the below, we would love to see you or them!! Just contact usprogrammes@ruralleaders.co.nz as the invitation to the forums will only go to those in each region.
Enthusiasm for a digital future key asset for Dairy Women’s trustee role 1 July 2019
Enthusiasm for a digital future is a key asset Auckland based tech enthusiast Sophie Stanley feels she can bring to the Dairy Women’s Network as the newest member of its trust board.
“I’ve worked with the Dairy Women’s Network in the past and have always admired what they are doing in the community to support women in the dairy industry,” she said. “I thought it was an organisation I could add a lot of value too and opportunities like this don’t come along that often.”
Stanley, 32, felt her youth and enthusiasm for a digital future was the key asset that she would will bring to the role.
“Having lead an agtech company in the US for the last two years I bring experience from the technology sector with agile and design thinking, and also have international experience working with farmers in the Midwest, USA.”
She said her experience travelling as a scholarship recipient of the prestigious rural leadership programme Nuffield New Zealand where she researched social media in the agricultural sector highlighted the importance of community and good use of technology, but stresses the importance of face to face connections.
“Used well, technology should be leveraged to enhance knowledge, community and connection, but real human interaction remains very important.”
Chair of the Dairy Women’s Network Board of Trustees Cathy Brown said Stanley had a strong understanding of strategy development and execution.
“Her digital knowledge will be an asset as the Dairy Women’s Network tells the story of the amazing women who work in the industry. We look forward to having Sophie on the team,” she said.
Stanley spent a year as an Associate Director on the Rural Leadership Consortium board (Nuffield NZ) following travelling overseas and has worked extensively in the banking and technology sectors.
“I feel excited to join a team who are committed to enabling transformational change in agribusiness, particularly with women,” she said.
“The agricultural sector has long been a passion of mine, and I believe that grassroots organisations such as Dairy Women’s Network provide so much value to its members by providing a community and access to tools and knowledge that can help them thrive.”
With strong rural roots resulting from growing up on a sheep and beef farm in Rangitaiki, in the Bay of Plenty, Stanley has always had a strong passion for agriculture and food production. She graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Science) and Bachelor of Business Studies (Economics) and went on to spend five years working as an Agri Manager for ANZ Bank with dairy farmers in Morrinsville.
In 2013 when she won the Nuffield Scholarship to research the impact of social media in agriculture she was one of the youngest scholars to ever be awarded it.
She joined cloud software company Figured in 2014 to build the vision for a cloud based agri accounting software, spending four years helping grow the company that included moving to Omaha, Nebraska to launch the business in the United States.
The call of New Zealand’s beaches and mountains saw her return home earlier this year to take up a role working on building app partner programmes for the global ecosystem at Xero.
An avid reader, podcast listener and traveller who says she loves learning about food systems, politics, economics and climate change, she has found time to run her first 50 kilometre ultramarathon in February and is training for her next ultramarathon in Taupo in October.
Stanley’s first Dairy Women’s Network Trust Board meeting will be in September.
New Zealand farmers are “more environmentally engaged” than their European counterparts, a North Canterbury dairy farmer says.
Cam Henderson, who farms in Oxford, has just returned from eight weeks visiting the US, Mexico, Brazil and the Netherlands as part of an agricultural scholarship programme.
Expecting the Netherlands to be ahead of New Zealand on environmental protection, he found they were less concerned about their farming impact.
“Their reputation is very clean and green, but I felt quite the opposite when I was there,” he said.
“I saw drains running through to rivers with cropping right to the edge. There were no setbacks or sediment traps…
