KEY POINTS:
A worldwide dairy consortium established at the suggestion of Fonterra chief executive Andrew Ferrier has scored something of a marketing own goal.
When Global Dairy Platform chief executive Kevin Bellamy last month took a swipe at incursions into the sector by non-dairy producers, the term "soy-milk" was high on his list of transgressions.
"When was the last time you saw a soya bean being milked?" he asked indignantly.
One of the aims of the "pre-competitive" lobby group - representing dairy companies with a combined revenue of some $70 billion - is to stop non-dairy products cashing in on the industry's good name.
Although it is early days, perhaps Fonterra might start on this monumental task by reviewing the wording for its own Anchor SoyLife Soymilk, which it describes as "a 100 per cent non-dairy milk with a superior taste".
Clearly the consortium is in the early stages of making a difference to the industry.
Out of the glare
There's a changing of the guard at AgResearch, whose outspoken chief science strategist Stephen Goldson is heading back to the coal face, after a three-year reign under which the Crown Research Institute set up its 20/20 science strategy aimed at doubling the value of dairy and meat exports while halving both industries' impact on the environment.
Goldson says over the past three years AgResearch has established closer ties with industry, made progress on protecting environmental and pastoral ecosystems.
"I'm going back to the bench - getting involved in the leadership of science projects rather than the strategic direction of Agresearch," said Goldson.
"I don't want to get too far away from science."
He said it was important to have a reasonably current scientist in the chief strategist role "to explain to our people what we were doing and why we were doing it and also to explain to stakeholders the sorts of science we were going to get involved in".
He is to be replaced by Travis Glare, who is currently section manager of biocontrol, biosecurity and bioprocessing, the same position Goldson held for 10 years before taking over as chief science strategist.
"Just by chance he's now got the job I had."
Goldson will remain as the institute's chief scientist, reporting to Glare, and although he will have a more hands-on science role, it will also involve representing AgResearch science to officials and politicians in Wellington.
Although Goldson recently expressed frustration at state R&D funding, he says he did not step down because of that.
"The funding system is still evolving and I hope I can help contribute to the debate about that as a senior scientist in AgResearch."
Goldson, whose expertise lies in biosecurity and pest management, says sometimes it's more useful for a scientist to put the position to officials, rather than through managers. "What I would do in this case is support very strongly the work Travis is doing by putting my hand up and saying, 'This is true - this is what's going on the science world'."
As a professor at Lincoln University's bioprotection centre, the major science contributor to the Containerscan project, he is also on the national science panel and the ministry for biosecurity's advisory committee.
He says the challenge for his successor will be to implement the 20/20 science strategy across AgResearch, a task that will require patience, he says.
Partner Power
Edward de Bono would be proud. Farmers of all stripes appear to be taking his Six Hats theory of problem-solving to heart, going by a spate of pronouncements urging a collaborative approach to everything from raising lamb prices to improving water quality.
But while farm lobby group Federated Farmers is emphasising "working partnerships" with scientists and regulators as the way to achieve better water quality in the agricultural sector, it seems decidedly lukewarm over the possibility of setting environmental targets.
Faced with the prospect of increasing environmental fallout from primary industry intensification, the farm lobby group hosted a meeting in Wellington last week at which scientists, regulators, and agriculture leaders presented the latest research into mitigating agricultural water pollution and considered how they might further an issue the industry is making slow progress on.
"The [Primary Sector Freshwater Science] Forum discussed the possibility of setting environmental targets, but it was emphasised these targets must be achievable and not lead to the demise of farming and communities in other words they must be economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable," said Hugh Ritchie on behalf of the lobby group that represents 17,000 farmers.
But Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton appeared unmoved by such bottom lines, warning farmers that to avoid regulation they would have to take concerted action before the rest of the community demanded government intervention.
"All New Zealand industries have to realise that the voluntary approach does not mean you have the luxury of doing nothing."
He cited the issue of erosion on the East Coast, saying far too many farmers had done nothing to solve a problem that created "a significant cost to the rest of the community". "Because of this inaction the Gisborne District Council has had no other choice but to force behaviour change through regulation. This is disappointing but necessary."
However, Fonterra's decision to target poorly performing producers with price penalties earned praise from the minister, who called the measure designed to clean up the industry a "very important development".
