The ‘Global Tour of New Zealand’, as it was quickly named by 2020’s Nuffield Scholars, gave a unique view of the country’s food and fibre sector value chains. This year, the programme will be made richer still.
The Value Chain Innovation Programme will begin in September 2022 and is now open to a larger number of people in the primary sector.
Building the value.
A lot of work has gone into building a collection of exciting and varied case studies across dairy, arable, horticulture value chains. Participants learn straight from the source. They gain unique insights into food and fibre innovation, in both domestic and international markets.
The new programme gives a wide view of established and novel value chains. Participants compare and transpose thinking at a time when the primary industries are going through the biggest period of transformational change since the 1980’s.
“If you’re in food and fibre, now is the time to be gaining a pan-sector view of as many successful business models as possible,” says Lincoln University Lecturer Prof. and Programme Co-facilitator Hamish Gow,
“Increasingly the most successful value chains are those with business models closely aligned to their customers, use protected IP, and provide innovative shared value structures.”
The programme runs over five weeks, two of these are spent on the road. The remaining time is spent on an individual research report. “It will be a busy few weeks, with the time commitment being 100 hours on field trips, guest lectures and networking, online lectures and discussions, tutorials, and another 50 hours self-directed learning,” said Prof. Gow.
The programme delivery team.
New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust CEO Chris Parsons remarked, “As a global leader and thinker in value chain design, innovation and entrepreneurship, Professor Gow is uniquely qualified to impart deeper strategic learning and insight into the September programme.”
Leadership and Strategic Development Consultant, and Programme Co-facilitator Phil Morrison, ONZM, further strengthens the team. “We are also fortunate to have Phil onboard. He brings a different leadership perspective, drawing on a career in military command, and in the delivery of innovation, strategic and leadership training as a consultant. We couldn’t hope for a stronger team”, added Chris Parsons.
Building leadership capability.
Once completed, the programme will give participants the competencies, confidence, and networks to influence change and lead transformation at an enterprise level and throughout regional New Zealand.
Chris Parsons says, “We hope this programme will lead to positive larger scale change as our graduates continue to grow and contribute to a fast-changing food and fibre sector.”
Rural Leaders are taking applications until Sunday 10 July.
Applications can be made at ruralleaders.co.nz/value-chain/
