A new wave of pressures
– from cyber threats to climate volatility – is changing what it means to be resilient on the land.
At Aon, we recently released the findings of our 2025 Global Risk Management Survey, which found that cyber attacks and data breaches are now the number one concern for Pacific businesses, ahead of economic slowdown, regulatory change and even extreme weather events.
While more than 90% of organisations in the Pacific region surveyed say they now have formal plans for cyber risk, just over half (52%) have climate mitigation plans in place.
That’s despite three-quarters of Pacific organisations (76.5%) having reported losses from weather or natural disasters in the past year, far higher than the global average.
It’s a stark reminder of the very real threats facing our primary industry and the fact that, despite awareness, action often lags behind the dangers.
For agribusinesses, cyber risk isn’t just about stolen data – it’s about downtime, loss of trust and financial interruption.
A cyber incident that disables an automated irrigation system or compromises herd-management data can disrupt operations just as effectively as a major storm.
Similarly, the physical environment that farmers operate in is becoming more unpredictable.
Cyclones, droughts and floods are testing infrastructure and balance sheets across rural New Zealand.
For many businesses, the cost of recovery from a major event in lost production, damaged equipment and delayed supply chains can take years to recoup.
What’s increasingly clear is that cyber and climate risks are deeply intertwined.
A severe weather event can disrupt power or connectivity networks, leaving critical digital systems exposed.
At the same time, cybercriminals often exploit the chaos that follows extreme weather, launching attacks when businesses are distracted or operating with limited capacity.
The result can be a double blow: a physical event that damages infrastructure and a cyber incident that compounds disruption just when a rapid response is most needed.
The good news is that many of the same principles that underpin climate resilience also apply to cyber resilience: proactive planning, risk quantification and investment in robust systems.
By 2028, Aon’s survey projects that cyber attacks and climate-related disruption will still be in the top five risks facing Pacific businesses.
For New Zealand’s primary sector, which underpins so much of the national economy, these are not abstract trends – they’re day-to-day realities.
Building resilience to such events isn’t just about protection.
It’s about positioning New Zealand agriculture for sustainable growth in a world defined by change.
Our farmers have long been innovators.
The next frontier of that innovation lies in how we anticipate risk, invest in resilience and build confidence in a future that’s both digitally connected and climate-conscious.
