Latest news with #VegetablesNewZealand
Scoop
6 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
‘Proposal To Allow Commercial Vegetable Growing Without Consent Means The Industry Has A Future'
Press Release – Vegetables New Zealand 'This proposal is a major step forward for New Zealands food security and the health of kiwis,' says Vegetables NZ Chair, John Murphy. Vegetables NZ is applauding the Government for supporting industry standards that protect the environment by proposing to allow commercial vegetable growers to grow food without having to strive for unworkable resource consents. 'This proposal is a major step forward for New Zealand's food security and the health of kiwis,' says Vegetables NZ Chair, John Murphy. 'Without it, the heart of New Zealand's vegetable growing community was under threat. 'Taking a national approach to vegetable production and ensuring vegetable growing is a permitted activity is essential for vegetable growing to be viable and for us to feed New Zealand. 'It is great that this Government has listened and is taking steps to ensure kiwis have access to fresh, healthy food like vegetables, now and in the future. The country will be better off in terms of health as well as economic outcomes. 'Today's announcement gives the commercial vegetable industry the hope it sorely needs.' John says Vegetables NZ supports the Government's move to explore a more targeted approach to Highly Productive Land. 'Highly Productive Land is a synergy of soil quality, flat contour, amenable climate, access to water, proximity to markets, workforce availability, and practical attainable consent to farm. Losing any of these factors critically inhibits the land's productivity. 'The current National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land protects first class soils. However, in practice – where parcels of land connect to urban areas – the land can become unproductive, due to poor planning and cross boundary effects. 'We want to see the Government protecting food supply by taking an integrated approach that safeguards the factors that go to ensure the land is highly productive. However, if a factor or combination of factors means the land is not highly productive, the owner's property rights must be protected.'
Scoop
24-04-2025
- Health
- Scoop
NZ Food Strategy Needed To Address Dire Statistic: A Third Of Kiwis Need Help To Access Food
Press Release – Vegetables New Zealand A 2023 report from Otago University found that if a cohort of New Zealanders added one more vegetable a day to their diet, just over $830 million would be saved in the healthy system, over the life span of that population. New Zealand needs a national food strategy to address the fact that a third of New Zealanders need food banks or financial help to obtain enough food. 'What Consumer NZ has found is appalling in a country like New Zealand that produces enough healthy food to feed 40 million people,' says Vegetables NZ Chair, John Murphy. 'A national food strategy would increase New Zealanders access to fresh healthy food, which is essential if we want a well, happy and productive society. 'New Zealand has lost its way. For example, vegetable prices have been low for more than a year thanks to good growing conditions. However, low prices have not resulted in any noticeable lift in vegetable consumption, so there is obviously more going on here. 'In Australia, the government and vegetable industry have come together to mount a campaign to increase vegetable consumption by one more serving a day, having found that Australians eat less than two servings of vegetables a day. 'Anecdotally, we know it's a similar situation in New Zealand. We are not addressing poor health because of poor diet – this is putting an unnecessary burden on the country's health system.' A 2023 report from Otago University found that if a cohort of New Zealanders added one more vegetable a day to their diet, just over $830 million would be saved in the healthy system, over the life span of that population. 'To improve New Zealanders' health, New Zealand needs a food strategy that improves access to fresh, healthy food like vegetables. This strategy needs to invest in education about food choices and ensure that resource management settings ensure New Zealand can continue to grow its own healthy food. 'We know it is hard to understand, but New Zealand is only one major weather event away from vegetable shortages and much higher prices. In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, vegetable production was reduced by 10-15% and yet prices rose by up to 300%. 'That's why a food strategy for New Zealand must take a national view of vegetable production, and ensure the country can continue to grow vegetables in key areas such as Pukekohe and Levin, which are currently under threat from unworkable, regional resource management approaches.' John says action needs to be taken now, before it is too late, and vegetable growers are forced out of business. 'Growers shutting up shop will only increase vegetable prices and worsen the statistic that a third of New Zealanders need help to access food. 'We look forward to this Government taking decisive action in the current round of resource management reform. We also look forward to seeing progress on a national food strategy for New Zealand, as there's so much at stake.'
