Analysis

This profile is part of a seven-part series from WorkSafe sharing the health and safety approaches taken by the grand finalists of the 2019 FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition. During the next seven weeks we will be sharing a profile and short video about each of the finalists and how they incorporate health and safety into their work, from a dairy farm manager to a veterinarian.  FMG Young Farmer of the Year grand finalist James Robertson gained first-hand experience of the impact an injury can have on a farm business when his father suffered an accident. “He was kicked by a cow and broke his thumb,” says James, who grew up on his family’s dairy farm near Mystery Creek. “I think I’d been a bit oblivious to health and safety as a young person but I really saw the implications an injury has on the business. He wasn’t able to work in the cattle shed for a few weeks. Having a key person not able to do that put a lot of pressure on everyone else.” James, who won the 2019 FMG Young Farmer Northern regional final, has a Bachelor of AgriCommerce from Massey University in Palmerston North. He was very active in the university’s Young Farmers organisation and says that helping organise health and safety for club events gave him a new perspective. “It wasn’t just if we were going on farm for a practical farming day, but also for things like social events. It made me very aware of the importance of identifying the risks and planning how to mitigate them,” he says. “That’s a huge thing. We were a big group, we did not want anyone to get hurt and there are implications for your organisation if someone does get hurt. There’s the human perspective and […]

Julian Heyes, Head of School of Food and Advanced Technology@ISHS_CMFV, Massey University According to the United Nations, food shortages are a threat due to climate change. Are food shortages a major threat to New Zealand due to climate change? Climate change is altering conditions that sustain food production, with cascading consequences for food security and global economies. Recent research evaluated the simultaneous impacts of climate change on agriculture and marine fisheries globally. Modelling of those impacts under a business-as-usual carbon emission scenario suggested about 90% of the world’s population – most of whom live in the least developed countries – will experience reductions in food production this century. New Zealanders are fortunate to live in a part of the world blessed with relatively fertile soils, adequate water supplies and mild temperatures. This gives us a comparative advantage for agriculture and horticulture over many other countries, including our main trading partner, Australia. New Zealand produces more than enough food for its population. Exports exceed local consumption, and climate-change induced food shortages should not be an imminent risk for New Zealand. But behind every general statement like this lies some rather more troubling detail. Overcoming domestic challenges As residents of a developed country, we are accustomed to accessing the world’s resources through supermarkets. New Zealanders take for granted that most foods (even those we do not produce, like rice or bananas) will be available all year round. Asparagus, new potatoes and strawberries are examples of foods New Zealanders may expect to see only at particular times of the year, but if apples or kiwifruit are out of stock, people usually complain. Our expectations are based on imports of products when they are out of season in New Zealand. The availability of those imports may be seriously compromised by climate change. A recent Ministry for the […]

– Jack Stenhouse, NZTE Trade Commissioner for South Korea. The eleventh largest economy in the world, the Republic of Korea, is home to some technology and manufacturing giants – names we all recognise, like Samsung, Hyundai, LG and Daewoo. Korea’s economic success is founded on access to world markets, and that’s great news for New Zealand exporters. While it’s still early days, the Korea-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement signed in 2015 looks to be delivering on its promise to boost business and strengthen ties between our two countries. This relationship has been reinforced by President Moon Jae-In’s visit to New Zealand this week. J-Nomics and the rise of consumer spending Korea is our fifth largest goods export market, and two-way trade recently surpassed NZ$4 billion in value. Since the New Zealand-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) came into force three years ago, two-thirds of our exports now enter Korea duty free, a figure that will eventually reach 98 percent. This softening of Korea’s traditionally protective trade policies translates to further opportunities for Kiwi exporters, and Korea’s focus on lifting wages and creating jobs brings more good news. President Moon Jae-In’s economic reforms, dubbed ‘J-Nomics’ aim to raise wages among lower and middle income earners, and increase domestic consumer spending. This, combined with a solid growth outlook, means Korea remains a reliable market for New Zealand businesses. While forestry products account for a decent amount of our exports to Korea (to the tune of almost NZ$500 million), it’s an even more attractive and significant market for our food and beverage exporters, where the FTA has seen trade in the F&B sector increase by 35 percent to top NZ$700 million. We’re winning because Korean consumers value our reputation for safe, reliable and premium products, but there’s definitely room for ongoing marketing investment to increase consumer […]