Why Fonterra accepted defeat in the dairy aisle
OPINION: Fonterra's sale of its consumer dairy business to Lactalis is a clear sign of the co-operative’s failure to compete in the branded consumer market.
One of the (positive) side-effects of Covid-19 is the improved air and water quality.
Less travel and manufacturing activity has meant those in normally polluted cities have been able to breathe easier and the Venice canals have never been clearer.
But how do we make sure those gains are made permanent and aren't lost post-Covid?
The environment has been at the forefront of how the tanker team at Fonterra's Te Awamutu site has been operating, well before the outbreak. It's been reducing emissions, simply by adopting economical driving techniques.
Matt Roberts, depot manager at Te Awamutu, says the co-op's depots across New Zealand have been tasked with demonstrating how drivers can reduce fuel usage. He says Te Awamutu's drivers have risen to the challenge.
"We essentially showed our drivers the data of where we were, and where we needed to be to reach our sustainability targets.
"The presentation touched the hearts and minds of the drivers. When they realised the potential impact they could have on the environment and for our co-op, many of them felt a responsibility to improve."
Not only have the drivers from the Te Awamutu site collectively saved 16,615 litres of fuel and 46 tonnes of CO2 emissions in the past year, it's had a direct financial impact.
"When they see the fuel barrels, it really hits home the reality of the impact they have on the environment, just from changing their driving style - they were really chuffed."
Fonterra tanker driver Stephen Putt says he was inspired to change his driving technique in 2015, when Fonterra nominated him to compete in The Volvo Fuel Challenge.
"The only problem was they only told me about the event a month before! That was a steep learning curve, but it gave me the push I needed to change my driving style completely."
Stephen placed 5th in the New Zealand event, but he reckons if he got another chance, he'd win it. With his current performance, Stephen uses around 40 litres per 100km (the Te Awamutu driver average is 47.66 litres per 100km) but says there's a lot of concentration involved to reach this level of fuel efficiency.
"You've got to stay on your game, it's alway got to be on your mind. I mainly try to scan ahead and memorise the routes, to drive more efficiently."
Techniques include reduced engine braking, maintaining a steady speed, limiting the number of stop-starts and using the truck's momentum to coast around corners.
To remind Te Awamutu drivers of the impact they're having, there's a life-sized VPM (Visual Performance Metric) in the drivers' carpark in the form of fuel barrels.
Matt says, "when they see the fuel barrels, it really hits home the reality of the impact they have on the environment, just from changing their driving style - they were really chuffed."
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
Balclutha farmer Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
Academic freedom is a privilege and it's put at risk when people abuse it.
All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.