Listen: Summit to address 'dramatic changes' in NZ agriculture

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This year, the "Grow 2019," farming conference will tackle some of the big questions about the future of food and fibre in New Zealand.

The two-day summit, which will be held in Christchurch this April, will look into some of the issues facing the industry, along with the action required to ensure the farming sector is sustainable and profitable into the future.

Kaila Colbin, who is the self-titled 'Curator and Creator' of Grow 2019 spoke to The Country's Jamie Mackay about the "dramatic changes," that will be addressed.

"Some of the things we're looking at are ... dramatic technological change, climate change, changing expectations of sustainability, changing social license to operate, new business models and new products and new paths to market."

Listen below:

Colbin said the food and fibre industry in New Zealand should be making decisions now, and look to global trends in order to be prepared for what may come.

"The future we're heading into doesn't really look like the past and we that we have to be really forward-thinking and really proactive if we want to be successful in this brave new world."

Find out more about the summit on Grow 2019's website.

Also in today's interview: Colbin talks about the need for "more robust conversations," around topics such as climate change and the rise of vegetarianism and veganism, and the meaning of a social license to operate.