Tuesday, November 7, 2017
HORTICULTURE New Zealand says if current trends continue, the country might not meet the demand for domestic fruit and vegetable supply into the future.
In what is being described as “a perfect storm” of circumstances by the organisation, New Zealand’s supply of fresh fruit and vegetable is at risk and could result in the country being unable to feed the growing population with domestically grown produce.
Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Mike Chapman said it was time to take stock and develop a national food security strategy.
“Our research shows that New Zealanders not only want to know where their fruit and vegetables come from, they want to buy New Zealand grown,” he said.
“Our current consumption levels of fresh produce show that net production is already below what is required for domestic consumption, meaning we can expect food shortages if we can’t get that balance of supply from imports.”
He said premium fruit and vegetable growing land was being squeezed by the demand for new housing that is causing rapid growth in towns and cities. This was worsened by changes in weather patterns and extreme unseasonal weather events impacting the supply and price of fresh food.
“Things are changing fast, so we need to look closely at our domestic food supply and be sure that town, city and regional planning decisions are made in the context of impacting the whole of New Zealand’s food supply,” he said.
The organisation’s report – New Zealand domestic vegetable production: the growing story – examines the factors that go into bringing vegetables from the field to the plate. It details challenges to supply, through to what drives demand and price.
“Information and evidence are required to enable good decisions about New Zealand’s domestic food supply and we are keen to engage the new Government with our call for a national food security strategy,” Mr Chapman said.
He said domestic supply was not being viewed as a national system with identified strengths and weaknesses to give New Zealanders continued access to fresh fruit and vegetables.
“Local, district and regional decision-making doesn’t look beyond its borders.
“While this is appropriate in the context of their planning, consideration is not given to national food supply when land is zoned for housing or when water is allocated,” he said.
“We need to future-proof the resources required to supply food to our growing population and this report looks at this with the backdrop of global megatrends.”
He said these trends included rapidly changing consumer demands, growing populations, urbanisation, and the impact of life-style blocks on horticulture, emerging technology and the emphasis on sustainability.