Between the lines: Philippa Stevenson

Sailors have lessons for farmers

By PHILIPPA STEVENSON

The whole country appears to have taken heart from Team New Zealand's America's Cup victory and everyone from individuals to large companies is likely to be mining it soon for inspiration.

Farming needs the psychological boost as much as any and, as the winds of fortune turn against it, could certainly use some Black Magic.

Some of the lessons to be learned from sporting success, including that of Team New Zealand, are probably already identified in a book out today, Peak Performance, by Saatchi and Saatchi chief executive Kevin Roberts and Waikato University's school of management lecturers.

It suggests, among other things, that a top priority is a dream that fires organisations, binds people together and inspires them to achieve more than they thought possible.

As NZL60 sailed to victory, a more immediate message was also there to be noted by the ever-fractious farming industries.

We had only one Team New Zealand. No Team Kiwi, Team New ZealandOne, or Team Smokefree New Zealand.

It was suggested a defender series should have been held to decide who would represent New Zealand. But when asked in a radio interview if the correct course had been charted, veteran grinder Andrew Taylor was brief about results which speak for themselves.

"Five zip," he said.

So it was a single Team NZ - and all the resources that could be marshalled from a population of 3.8 million - which beat the best the world could throw at it.

Export market battles against the world's agricultural producers and giant companies worth more than New Zealand are waged by similarly small teams - 1400 apple growers, 3000 kiwifruit growers, 3000 deer farmers, 14,500 dairy farmers, and 23,000 sheep and beef farmers.

For years, with the use of enforcing legislation, they, too, have acted in concerted ways.

The need for these bodies and laws has been increasingly questioned from inside and outside the industries.

For example, a Government advisory body, the Producer Board Project Team, says agribusiness will need to rely less on statutory structures and more on flexibility, creativity and ability to meet customers' changing needs.

It also favours two competing New Zealand dairy companies instead of the single-company option more popular with the industry, and helped drive partial deregulation of the apple and kiwifruit industries.

But if Team NZ's solo act is any sort of business model, those who argue that agricultural industries have more than enough competition overseas and do not need it at home have reinforced their case.

So have those who believe you do not need legislation to create a winning team.