Latest news with #AndrewHoggard
Malay Mail
16-07-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Malaysia sets sights on becoming halal gateway between Asean and Oceania, says Zahid
WELLINGTON, July 16 — Malaysia has expressed its readiness to serve as the primary distribution hub for halal products from New Zealand into Asean markets, as part of efforts to strengthen the regional and global halal ecosystem, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said. Ahmad Zahid, who is also Malaysian Halal Industry Development Council chairman, said two halal certification bodies in New Zealand have already been recognised by the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) and can play a vital role in driving the export of halal products from that region. 'I have invited New Zealand halal industry players to participate in Mihas (Malaysia International Halal Showcase) in December. 'At that time, we will announce the establishment of the Asean Halal Council, as well as Asean Plus Three (APT), aimed at harmonising regional halal certification standards,' he told a press conference after the Halal Forum and Tea Session with New Zealand's Minister for Biosecurity and Food Safety, Andrew Hoggard, here today. This marks the third day of Ahmad Zahid's five-day working visit to New Zealand. He said another key strategy to facilitate New Zealand's entry into South-east Asian markets through Malaysia is by extending halal certification recognition to organisations within the country. 'I've taken the opportunity here in Wellington to push for stronger collaboration between Malaysia and New Zealand, particularly on promoting Asean halal products into the Asia-Pacific region,' he said. He stressed that the collaboration is vital to supporting growth in the global halal market, which is projected to reach US$5 trillion (RM21.2 trillion) by 2050, with Malaysia targeting at least a five per cent share of the global market. Ahmad Zahid said the halal industry should expand beyond the food and beverage sector to include cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, Islamic banking, insurance, vaccines, gelatin and more. 'Halal is not just for Muslims, it is a universal symbol of cleanliness, quality and health,' he said. Ahmad Zahid said the Halal Development Corporation (HDC) will propose the establishment of a Malaysian Halal Development Commission, which will complement the Asean Halal Council. Meanwhile, efforts to revive the World Halal Council are ongoing in collaboration with GCC countries. Asked whether Jakim's stringent halal certification processes are still a concern for New Zealand companies, Zahid said the issue no longer exists. 'Jakim has delegated authority to two halal certifying bodies in New Zealand. Applications are now handled through them, not directly via Jakim. 'However, Jakim will continue periodic audits to ensure compliance with its standards. We don't foresee any issues as I met with the two recognised associations this morning, both of which are certified by Jakim and the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS),' he said. Last year, New Zealand's halal-certified meat exports to Malaysia exceeded NZD60 million (RM151 million). During the forum, Ahmad Zahid also witnessed the exchange of a Letter of Intent (LoI) between Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and the University of Canterbury (UC). The LoI focuses on strengthening cooperation in chemical and process engineering, halal food technology and sustainable development. — Bernama
Scoop
16-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
New Zealand And Malaysia Commit To Boosting Halal Meat Trade
Press Release – New Zealand Government Minister for Food Safety Andrew Hoggard says, Malaysia is a significant market for New Zealands premium halal meat products, with exports of more than $60 million last year. Minister for Food Safety New Zealand and Malaysia have committed to boosting trade in high-quality halal meat products. Minister for Food Safety Andrew Hoggard says, 'Malaysia is a significant market for New Zealand's premium halal meat products, with exports of more than $60 million last year.' 'Malaysia is facilitating the approval of several New Zealand halal meat premises seeking first-time access to this market, which is crucial to growing exports. 'With a population of more than 35 million people, new access will help set the stage for significant growth in the Malaysian market. 'Once approved, this will boost returns for Kiwi farmers, processors and exporters,' Mr Hoggard says. Malaysian authorities will visit the new premises to review their halal production processes as part of the approval process. This progress was announced at a Halal Forum in Wellington today, hosted by Mr Hoggard and Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Rural and Regional Development Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid bin Haji Hamidi. Dato' Seri Zahid says New Zealand and Malaysia are also working closely together to streamline the export requirements for New Zealand halal meat. 'Malaysia places significant importance on compliance with halal requirements.' 'We are working hard with New Zealand to strengthen halal collaboration, which includes refreshing the requirements for the export of halal meat to Malaysia. This is a testament to the strong relationship between both countries, and the confidence Malaysia has in New Zealand's halal processing and assurance systems,' Dato' Seri Zahid says. Mr Hoggard says the refreshed requirements will help provide certainty for Kiwi producers in areas including registration of new premises, documentation, processing, labelling, packaging, and storage. 'New Zealand remains fully committed to our strong relationship with Malaysia and supplying the best quality halal products to consumers in this important market.'
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Gene-Edited Foods Could Hit Shelves Without Labels Under New Trans-Tasman Proposal
Organics Aotearoa NZ is warning that a new proposal from Trans-Tasman food regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) would allow genetically modified foods created using new gene editing methods to enter our food system without labelling, safety checks, or traceability. The proposal could make Australia the first country globally to deregulate both plants and animals without oversight, with New Zealand expected to follow. The proposal, known as P1055, would exclude foods produced using New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) from GM classification, despite involving artificial genetic modification. Research indicates potential risks, including unintended genetic changes and unknown long-term health and environmental effects, yet consumers would have no way to identify these products on supermarket shelves. Brendan Hoare, GE spokesperson for Organics Aotearoa NZ, said: 'FSANZ is pushing through changes without any economic, business or trade impact analysis that could fundamentally alter what's on our dinner plates, without proper consultation or safety testing. The science is clear: while NBTs may not always introduce novel DNA, they still alter the cell's biochemistry, and things can go wrong through omissions, rearrangements, or unintended effects. New Zealanders deserve the right to know what's in their food. What gives regulators the confidence to think otherwise? OANZ says FSANZ concluded gene-edited foods pose no new risks without providing supporting evidence or allowing meaningful industry response to their findings. This isn't happening in isolation, it's part of a coordinated shift toward GM foods in our region, happening while consumers are kept in the dark. OANZ is calling for an immediate pause on P1055 until independent trade impact and cost-benefit analyses are completed, and full labelling requirements are restored. OANZ is now seeking urgent meetings with New Zealand Ministers Andrew Hoggard and Casey Costello, and is working alongside Australian Organics Ltd and allied groups to mobilise opposition to the proposal. Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) is the national body representing New Zealand's organic sector. Established in 2006, OANZ was created to unite the country's organic organisations and provide a strong, collective voice to policymakers and the public. Our mission is to accelerate the transition to organic regenerative food and farming systems, supporting and advocating for the organic sector across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Scoop
28-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Country Life: Dollars For Nature – Can Biodiversity Credits Fix NZ's Conservation Woes?
Country Life: What are biodiversity credits and how can they work for NZ?, for Country Life If mud and dead things aren't your thing but you still want trees planted, pests killed and wetlands to flourish, you could pay others to do the hard slog through biodiversity credits. Not to be confused with carbon credits, they are a way for private investors and corporations to pay others to save the skink or clean up sludgy streams and, in so doing, meet the expectations of a company's increasingly green customers. A biodiversity credit market is something the government has been perusing for a few years now, given limited public funds to pay for the huge costs involved in protecting and restoring nature. At Fieldays this month Associate Minister for the Environment Andrew Hoggard said farmers and other landowners were already doing their bit to protect biodiversity and wanted to do more. 'Supporting voluntary nature credits markets is a chance for the government to show them the carrot, not just the stick. 'We want to connect those caring for the land with investors who support conservation.' This week, Christchurch-based business consultancy Ekos launched its own biodiversity credit scheme, BioCredita, where investors can purchase bundles of credits to fund nature projects, including Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, a fenced eco-sanctuary in Waikato. The project, covering 3363 hectares, costs $5000 daily to run and is hoping to fund operations through credits or units priced at $12 each, representing the cost of protecting one hundredth of a hectare. The first buyer, according to Ekos' chief executive Sean Weaver, is a window manufacturer 'who liked the idea of selling biodiversity-enriched windows'. 'They can't do much biodiversity conservation in the factory, but they can support a nearby project, which is what they've done,' Weaver told Country Life. Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts. The Ekos credits are measured, independently verified and registered, and the project monitored to ensure operators do what they say they're doing, Weaver said. 'We've built a standard called the Ecos SD standard, which defines all of the things you need to do in order to demonstrate the benefits that you're delivering. And then we've built a registry, a digital registry on blockchain technology, so that these units can be issued once they've been verified to the standard, and then they can be tracked and traced across.' Weaver stresses the credits, unlike carbon credits, are not for use to offset damage to the environment. The Maungatautari project is among several pilot projects which the government is hoping to learn from. Others include a Silver Fern Farms project and Te Toa Whenua Northland which is transitioning around 100 ha from exotic forestry to native trees and includes pest control on iwi-owned land. Foreign funding for local projects A voluntary biodiversity credit market is just another tool for companies, both here and overseas, which want to fund New Zealand's conservation efforts, according to Hayden Johnston, GM for the Natural Environment at the Ministry for the Environment. 'We know that in New Zealand, companies are spending in the millions of dollars each year to keep up with either their regulatory requirements or claims that they want to make about their brands. 'I think people see New Zealand as a … country that has high credibility in the international space, and I feel really confident that we could be creating some really high-end premium products or credits to be offered internationally. 'One of the key questions we've always had is, you know, who is going to buy these things, and what do they want to buy?' Ekos' Sean Weaver said his scheme ultimately wants to attract foreign revenue to New Zealand which is seen as a hotspot for biodiversity. 'Imagine going to Europe and lassooing, I don't know, 10,20,30,40 hundred million dollars worth of demand from big actors in those economies so that we can create a fire hose of money to point at New Zealand conservation interests. That's really the goal here.' Greenwashing, commodifying nature? But what about criticism the credits could be another vehicle for greenwashing – companies exaggerating or misleading consumers about their green credentials? The integrity of biodiversity schemes is key, given the world's chequered experience with carbon trading. Already critics are flagging concerns around the nascent biodiversity credit industry, not just greenwashing – but scaleability, distaste at the 'commodification' of nature and the risk of distracting governments from their funding obligations. Johnston said the government hopes to develop 'guardrails' by following the pilot projects' experience. 'Principles like transparency, so that the buyer knows exactly what they're buying; additionality, so that what they're buying is clearly an additional benefit from what would have happened otherwise; longevity, so that the action or the outcome will occur over a longish period of time.' A central registry for the credits is something they will be considering too, he said. Weaver describes credits as a variation on philanthropy. 'Are they commodifying nature? No, they're not. They're commodifying the human labour and technology cost to look after nature. So no nature is being traded in these credits.' It's not a goldrush Johnston said biodiversity credits could work well for farmers and landowners working collaboratively, say, in catchment groups, to fund things like fencing and pest control. 'One of the things I'm really keen we test is how you can do this in a way that is cost effective. 'We know that examples of projects that are using international verification, for example, can be quite costly, and we want to find ways to make this an available tool in New Zealand for New Zealand circumstances.' Weaver said the Ekos credits, which are tradeable, should not be seen as a goldrush, but essentially a form of sustainable financing. 'Everybody in the value chain, in our programme has to make a profit, but nobody is allowed to make a super profit, like an unjustifiable super profit. 'The main reason for that is that the end-user of biodiversity credits is buying a conservation outcome, and they want to be confident that they're funding the true cost of looking after the place, and not funding, you know, somebody's super profit that will help them just buy another yacht.' 'Projects still need to go out and hunt for buyers, and our system is a new net to go fishing for that money,' Weaver said. Learn more:
Scoop
28-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Country Life: Dollars For Nature - Can Biodiversity Credits Fix NZ's Conservation Woes?
If mud and dead things aren't your thing but you still want trees planted, pests killed and wetlands to flourish, you could pay others to do the hard slog through biodiversity credits. Not to be confused with carbon credits, they are a way for private investors and corporations to pay others to save the skink or clean up sludgy streams and, in so doing, meet the expectations of a company's increasingly green customers. A biodiversity credit market is something the government has been perusing for a few years now, given limited public funds to pay for the huge costs involved in protecting and restoring nature. At Fieldays this month Associate Minister for the Environment Andrew Hoggard said farmers and other landowners were already doing their bit to protect biodiversity and wanted to do more. "Supporting voluntary nature credits markets is a chance for the government to show them the carrot, not just the stick. "We want to connect those caring for the land with investors who support conservation." This week, Christchurch-based business consultancy Ekos launched its own biodiversity credit scheme, BioCredita, where investors can purchase bundles of credits to fund nature projects, including Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, a fenced eco-sanctuary in Waikato. The project, covering 3363 hectares, costs $5000 daily to run and is hoping to fund operations through credits or units priced at $12 each, representing the cost of protecting one hundredth of a hectare. The first buyer, according to Ekos' chief executive Sean Weaver, is a window manufacturer "who liked the idea of selling biodiversity-enriched windows". "They can't do much biodiversity conservation in the factory, but they can support a nearby project, which is what they've done," Weaver told Country Life. Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts. The Ekos credits are measured, independently verified and registered, and the project monitored to ensure operators do what they say they're doing, Weaver said. "We've built a standard called the Ecos SD standard, which defines all of the things you need to do in order to demonstrate the benefits that you're delivering. And then we've built a registry, a digital registry on blockchain technology, so that these units can be issued once they've been verified to the standard, and then they can be tracked and traced across." Weaver stresses the credits, unlike carbon credits, are not for use to offset damage to the environment. The Maungatautari project is among several pilot projects which the government is hoping to learn from. Others include a Silver Fern Farms project and Te Toa Whenua Northland which is transitioning around 100 ha from exotic forestry to native trees and includes pest control on iwi-owned land. Foreign funding for local projects A voluntary biodiversity credit market is just another tool for companies, both here and overseas, which want to fund New Zealand's conservation efforts, according to Hayden Johnston, GM for the Natural Environment at the Ministry for the Environment. "We know that in New Zealand, companies are spending in the millions of dollars each year to keep up with either their regulatory requirements or claims that they want to make about their brands. "I think people see New Zealand as a ... country that has high credibility in the international space, and I feel really confident that we could be creating some really high-end premium products or credits to be offered internationally. "One of the key questions we've always had is, you know, who is going to buy these things, and what do they want to buy?" Ekos' Sean Weaver said his scheme ultimately wants to attract foreign revenue to New Zealand which is seen as a hotspot for biodiversity. "Imagine going to Europe and lassooing, I don't know, 10,20,30,40 hundred million dollars worth of demand from big actors in those economies so that we can create a fire hose of money to point at New Zealand conservation interests. That's really the goal here." Greenwashing, commodifying nature? But what about criticism the credits could be another vehicle for greenwashing - companies exaggerating or misleading consumers about their green credentials? The integrity of biodiversity schemes is key, given the world's chequered experience with carbon trading. Already critics are flagging concerns around the nascent biodiversity credit industry, not just greenwashing - but scaleability, distaste at the "commodification" of nature and the risk of distracting governments from their funding obligations. Johnston said the government hopes to develop "guardrails" by following the pilot projects' experience. "Principles like transparency, so that the buyer knows exactly what they're buying; additionality, so that what they're buying is clearly an additional benefit from what would have happened otherwise; longevity, so that the action or the outcome will occur over a longish period of time." A central registry for the credits is something they will be considering too, he said. Weaver describes credits as a variation on philanthropy. "Are they commodifying nature? No, they're not. They're commodifying the human labour and technology cost to look after nature. So no nature is being traded in these credits." It's not a goldrush Johnston said biodiversity credits could work well for farmers and landowners working collaboratively, say, in catchment groups, to fund things like fencing and pest control. "One of the things I'm really keen we test is how you can do this in a way that is cost effective. "We know that examples of projects that are using international verification, for example, can be quite costly, and we want to find ways to make this an available tool in New Zealand for New Zealand circumstances." Weaver said the Ekos credits, which are tradeable, should not be seen as a goldrush, but essentially a form of sustainable financing. "Everybody in the value chain, in our programme has to make a profit, but nobody is allowed to make a super profit, like an unjustifiable super profit. "The main reason for that is that the end-user of biodiversity credits is buying a conservation outcome, and they want to be confident that they're funding the true cost of looking after the place, and not funding, you know, somebody's super profit that will help them just buy another yacht." "Projects still need to go out and hunt for buyers, and our system is a new net to go fishing for that money," Weaver said. Learn more:
