NZRSB Update - 19 December 2022
Your NZRSB Member Update for End of 2022
We hope that everyone has some down time these coming holidays to enjoy with family and/or friends.
As much as you want to hear more from us, we do love to hear from you. Please let us know how things are going and if there is a direction NZRSB could take that you or your organisation would find helpful.
Here are some updates for you
Goals
NZRSB Goal Setting
The working groups have been working hard to deliver on a draft goals framework for the wider membership to review and provide comment on. This is your opportunity to have your say on what direction we take as an organisation and even on how we may go about it.
Look out for our first draft to our members in February 2023 and let us know what you think! The more feedback we receive from you, our industry representatives and members, the better we can align ourselves towards a more progressive and unified sustainable beef community.
Welcome to Our New Members!!
We welcome a number of new individual and entity organisations over the last few months. We look forward to having them join us and contribute their thoughts and ideas to our development and progress.
Anna Redmond - Producer
Ashburton beef finishing, mixed cropping and sheep stud
Richard & Karen Scholefield - Producer
Gisborne progressive farm business manager
Greg Hart of Mangarara Farm - Producer
Hawke’s Bay Beef & sheep farmer
Mat Cullen
Fonterra
Dana Muir (Natural Capital) - Observer
Bank of New Zealand
NZ Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Conference
NZ Agricultural Climate Change Conference
For those wanting to learn more about climate related issues, the NZ Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Conference may be a good opportunity. It is to be held in Wellington on 28 February and 1 March. The conference registration is free, and the conference dinner is a user pays event. The brief: The conference will gather members from government, scientists, farmers, and primary sector leaders who will focus on the latest climate change policies and science and the future of agriculture in Aotearoa New Zealand. More details here: https://www.nzagrc.org.nz/news-and-events/conference-2023/
Global Conference for Sustainable Beef
Nicholas Jolly speaking on NZ beef industry meeting climate goals.
Nicholas Jolly writes a brief on the Global Conference for Sustainable Beef communicators summit, 2-day conference and farm tour held in Denver, Colorado last month…
The communicators summit was useful to understand how others were getting their message across to consumers and the public.
It was really useful to connect with both GRSB members and other Roundtables. It was really interesting to see the range of approaches being taken across different countries, organisations and businesses from across the supply chain to improving the sustainability of beef production.
NZRSB Representation at the Global Conference for Sustainable Beef, Nicholas Jolly (Left: NZRSB Member, Beef+Lamb NZ) and Richard Scholefield (Right: NZRSB Chair and Producer Member).
It was also worthwhile understanding the different challenges and drivers in each country. For example in New Zealand a lot of our current focus is on methane metrics while South American countries were concerned about deforestation and demonstrating that their production was sustainable. The US and Canada had a significant focus on grassland restoration and using cattle to improve soil structure. Companies were driven by consumer and shareholder sentiment and needed to be able to assure their consumers that the beef they were selling was produced in a manner that was both sustainable and ethical.
NZRSB Chair and NZ producer, Richard Scholefield, presenting to the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef’s National Roundtables.
While everyone was impressed with the on-the-ground action that was being taken by New Zealand beef producers (such as with NZFAP/+, farmers understanding their emissions, and the public commitment to net zero made by processors) there are also lessons we could learn from colleagues in other countries, particularly around better telling our story. The USA and Canada have used their roundtables to bring NGO’s into the conversation and work together on improving beef production and communicating this message to policy makers and consumers.
Methane Measuring Devices at Colorado State University
The farm tour on the final day was really interesting, as I had not seen USA beef production systems before. They had significantly different challenges to NZ and while they performed well on some indicators, there were others that posed significant issues, such as animal welfare and biodiversity.
The GRSB is also advocating for the global beef industry at events such as COP27 and the range of companies and countries that it represents gives it a really solid base to speak from on issues of interest to all beef producers, such as climate change.
GRSB general assembly & Executive Committee
The GRSB has held it’s annual general meeting earlier this month. The primary focus was a change to their bylaws allowing for an increase to the number of Member-At-Large seats on the Executive Team. The Board of Director’s Meeting voted in the new GRSB Executive Committee…
GRSB webinar rescheduled
"Financing Sustainable Beef”
GRSB Webinar Rescheduled
GRSB has reported changing the date of their webinar, "Financing Sustainable Beef.” GRSB Webinars are a benefit of NZRSB membership. Please contact NZRSB if you would like to learn how to participate.
GRSB Member: Please plan to join the next Members-Only GRSB Webinar, “Financing Sustainable Beef,” on Thursday, January 12, 2023 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Central US/Canada Time (8:00 UTC) . This 60-minute webinar is an exclusive GRSB member benefit. This session will feature English to Spanish simultaneous translation. There will be opportunities for all participants ask question and to join in the discussion!
Dublin declaration
The Global Meat Alliance reports on the very first International Meat Summit held in October this year: “One of the outcomes of the Summit was the Dublin Declaration which aims “to give voice to the many scientists around the world who research diligently, honestly and successfully in the various disciplines in order to achieve a balanced view of the future of animal agriculture”.
“Scientists from across the globe are being asked to sign this declaration with the organisers hoping to gain over 1,000 signatures. Although there is strict academic criteria over who signs this declaration, we hope that many of us can show support by sharing this news within our own networks.”
You can read more about this here: The Dublin declaration of scientists (dublin-declaration.org)
Connection
Did you know that NZRSB is on many media platforms? If you use any of these, please connect with us so we can address the issues you are most interested in.
What’s Coming Up?
In addition to our Draft goals being sent to members in February 2023, we are also working on a webinar to be held in March 2023 and planning the NZRSB conference for May 2023.
Watch this space!
