Anderton warning over image of NZ farming

Jim Anderton

Any perceptions New Zealand farmers have a poor attitude to environmental protection could put primary sector exports at risk, says Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton.

His comments come in the latest high-level exchange of views over farming and the environment, kicked off with a broadside at environmentalists from Federated Farmers president Charlie Pedersen in July.

Anderton warned that Pedersen's fresh remarks last week risked creating the impression overseas that farmers did not care enough about the environment.

"There is a limit at which I have to put my hand up and say 'be careful out there'," Anderton told the Business Herald.

Last Wednesday, Pedersen said it was a myth tougher environmental protection rules covering farming were a route to greater export riches for dairy and meat.

"The reality is that most of our consumers are keen to buy as much as they can for as little as possible and price is the driver ... it is very rare that consumers will pay a margin for honourable food."

Anderton responded by claiming Pedersen was suggesting New Zealand join developing countries in a "race to the bottom" on price. "Our economic success will come from the growing global demand for high-value products in high-value markets."

Pedersen said he was baffled at Anderton's interpretation of his comments. The meat and dairy sectors were in fact putting significant efforts into developing high-value, branded products, he said.

But he believed a clean, green reputation was not of crucial significance to offshore marketing, which tended to be based around the way our farming systems treated animals and the type of produce created, rather than our national environmental friendliness. Buy locally made campaigns overseas had "wiped out" the ability to market on a country-of-origin basis. "The point of difference of our product is it's raised on grass."

Pedersen acknowledged environmental practices had some relevance to offshore marketing but added: "What I find tiresome is the concentration on that."

He noted the OECD had made positive comment about New Zealand's environment, and there was evidence water quality had improved around the country in the past 10 years. Also, farmers put a lot of effort into environmental protection.

But Anderton said Pedersen's comments risked creating an impression offshore that New Zealand was not as environmentally friendly as it could be.

"This will look like - to those who want it to look like - New Zealand is careless about its farming environment.

"The world is a hostile place for efficient producers of primary production."

Noting added attention on green issues in Europe, Anderton believed environmental considerations would increasingly become part of trade regulations. "We've got environmental protection measures coming at us at a rate of knots."

British and French farmers were being paid to look after the environment.

"The next thing is they're going to start asking how you're doing it."

Green speak

* Federated Farmers needs to avoid creating the impression NZ farming does not care enough about the environment, says Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton.

* He warns the next wave of trade protectionism could be centred on the environment.

* But Federated Farmers says it's our farming systems - rather than NZ's environmental image - that are most important in marketing meat and dairy.