Organic dairy co-op files for liquidation
A co-operative touted as New Zealand's only 100% farmer-owned organic milk producer has gone bust.
Origen Green, a marketing brand created by Ireland, is something New Zealand needs to copy and do better and faster.
That's the message from KPMG global head of agribusiness Ian Proudfoot, just home from a visit to Ireland.
Origen Green is described as a 'verifiable commitment to sustainability all along the supply chain' and is run by Bord Bia – the Irish Food board.
Origen Green involves farmers, processors and suppliers and is aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture and protecting natural resources. It is also independently verified.
"Origen Green is brilliant in concept and the way they are doing it," Proudfoot told Rural News. "They've been building it in a systematic way for 10 years and they are in front of everyone else in the world.
"It's not just about the environment, although that is an important part of it. It's also doing the right thing in... employment practices and animal welfare, and anything where the customer could challenge the efficacy of a product. It's highly connected to consumers and everything they do is driven by the needs of consumers."
Proudfoot says farms are audited and they get practical feedback on how they can improve. Farmers must also produce a five year plan including specific milestones.
"It's to lift the whole game and do the right thing," he explains. "We in NZ have to learn quickly about what the Irish are doing, because they are a competitor of ours and they've got something we have nothing close to.
"We don't articulate where we want our industry to go in such clear terms as the Irish have done through Origen Green."
Proudfoot concedes that while Ireland is ahead of NZ on this front, we should try to learn from what they have done and do it faster and better. He believes a lack of overall leadership in the primary sector is a problem for NZ.
Nine lucky school leavers passionate about farming will join Pamu for a two-year journey into agriculture, living and working at Pamu farm, Aratiatia near Taupo.
Nutritionists are urging Kiwis to kickstart their day with a piece of fresh fruit to help improve their health and wellbeing this autumn.
Under its innovation strategy, Craigmore Sustainables says it is collaborating with new innovators of technology across sustainability, people, animals and business management to enhance New Zealand's dairy sector.
Deeply cynical and completely illogical. That's how Kimberly Crewther, the executive director of DCANZ is describing the Canadian government's flagrant breach of international trade law in refusing to open its market to New Zealand dairy exports.
This week the winner of the prestigious Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Māori Dairy farm will be announced at a gala dinner in Hamilton.
Once-a-day milking (OAD) can increase or lower the amounts of proteins in milk, according to a new study published in the journal Dairy.
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