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From proud sponsor Penergetic New Zealand: The natural biotechnology for intelligent agriculture

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Produced in Switzerland and distributed to 40 countries, Penergetic’s range of organic biostimulants are used in agriculture to reactivate existing biology back to natural levels by addressing underlying issues causing the biology’s current decline.  

Benefits include improved soil structures and stronger plant growth with increased yields giving rise to healthier and more vibrant crops and animals. 

Penergetic products are IFOAM and Biogro NZ certified and can help conventional farmers and growers to significantly reduce synthetic fertiliser input. 

Penergetic International started product development and trials in Switzerland in 1979, with commercial production and distribution commencing in 2001. The family business approach is based on values: respectful interaction with humans and nature, fairness and social relationships.

Amongst the biggest challenges in modern agriculture is developing sustainable systems that can economically produce food and fibre with little impact on environmental resources. Penergetic harnesses this challenge with a suite of products that use innovative biostimulation technology that increases biological activity in all agricultural sub-systems naturally.

For example, Penergetic’s Soil & Plant products work synergistically to restore and restructure soil and to boost productivity and nutrition of plants. Soil structures are naturally improved with enriched biological quality, photosynthesis is optimised, and plants grow healthier roots with strengthened immunity. These benefits lead to lower fertiliser requirements, increased climate tolerance, boosted natural resistance to pests & diseases, and sustainable farming. 

The Science 

These scientific studies published in the Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences June 2020, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp.1-7, show in-vitro studies of growth in 2 bacteria (growth-promoting Trichoderma, and nitrogen-fixing Bradyrhizobium) and 2 fungi (Mycorrhizal and Suillus) before and after Penergetic treatment. 

Lab results extend to fields & pastures 

The above studies document how for four microbiological organisms commonly observed in agriculture, Penergetic biostimulation significantly increases activity.  

The same stimulation effect is evident in fields and on crops and pastures, as plants and animals respond to the increased biological activity with higher yields and higher quality products.  

Added Penergetic, combined with a rational reduction in fertiliser inputs, gives the stimulated biology increased chance of survival and reduces environmental impact. 

Trials & testimonials 

The following local trials were conducted at the BHU Future Farming Centre (Canterbury), indicate significant yield improvements using Penergetic b-Soil & p-Plant achieving 27% and 13% yield increases: 

This trial conducted in Waihi, has 67% increase in total fungi using COMPOST: 

Refer to the website for further scientific reports, field testimonies, and trials – www.penergetic.co.nz 

The Products 

Penergetic products are suitable for all agricultural environments, soils, crops, & climates and offer a huge range of benefits: 

b-Soil: boosts soil activity, supports biological activity, stimulates fertility, supports root growth, activates humus formation, helps with soil compaction. (Most effective if used with p-Plant) 

p-Plant: promotes increased yields and improves plant quality. Influences soil life, supports root growth, promotes vitality, reduction of use of additives, beneficial for the environment 

k-Compost: promotes humus formation and improves the climate in animal housing. Supports fast rotting, improves compost activity, supports humus formation, mitigates barn odours, helps with flies.  

g-Slurry: produces valuable liquid manure. Suitable for dairy and pig manure, helps to remove layers, reduces requirements for pit agitation, supports homogeneous fertiliser, abatement of odour. 

t-Animal: for sustainable and healthy animal husbandry. Improves digestion, promotes feed conversion, better fattening results, boosts the immune system, fewer animal losses. 

w-Water Remediation: reactivates existing water-cleaning microbiology in still water like tanks, dugouts, ponds, reservoirs, dams, even lakes. Penergetic water works to re-establish equilibrium and to overcome previous detrimental conditions. 

WATER Restructuring & Revitalisation: the AquaKat range of water-treatment devices can be used anywhere drinking or processed water is used or consumed by humans, animals & plants. The action promotes vitality & supports plant growth, leads to greater feed efficiency with higher water consumption by animals, savings with optimisation of additives, less need for cleaning and reduces non-operating time. 

New Zealand distribution 

Penergetic New Zealand Limited was set up in 2020 as the national distributor and stockist of Penergetic products. For more information visit: www.penergetic.co.nz 

5 Reasons to Choose Organics for the Planet

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Find out how organic farming provides a sustainable solution to agriculture, while also supporting a thriving future for people and planet. This article was contributed by one of our sponsors, Chantal Organics.

Organic farming is a holistic approach that prioritizes the long-term health of the soil, land and waterways. This directly supports a sustainable future through ecological balance, environmental quality and healthy workers and animals.  

Let’s take a closer look at how organic practices support a sustainable planet.

  1. Organics Support Better Soil . Healthy soil is the cornerstone of organic farming.  Healthy, resilient soil contains more bacteria to help plants fight disease and pests (reducing the need for harmful pesticides), provides plants more nutrition (providing higher crop yields) and also holds more water (reducing runoff and soil erosion). 

    Soil also plays a key role in absorbing carbon, filtering water and growing healthy crops. It is estimated that 20-30% of our current greenhouse gases are from soil loss. The May 2019 UN report stated that if current farming practices continue, there is just 60 years of farmable topsoil remaining. Some say in 25 years, we will hit a point of no return. 

    On conventional farms, soil loses organic carbon through farming methods such as: synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, tillage, monocropping and yield-based management. 
  2. Organics are Better for the Waterways. Healthy topsoil absorbs water when it rains, while depleted soil is too dry to do so, therefore producing water runoff. This runoff is dangerous as it carries any applied toxic fertilizer or pesticides into rivers, streams and the ocean. Supporting organic soil matter and eliminating the use of chemicals, supports fresh clean water for us all.
  3. Organics Help to Fight Climate Change. Carbon sequestration is the capture of atmospheric carbon in the soil and ground foliage.  Many people don’t realise the planet’s soil stores more carbon than the atmosphere, plants and forests combined. Improving soil health and planting perennials are two of the best ways to help soil sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

    As you can see, healthy soil has become a key component in the fight against climate change. Organic farmers support this by planting nitrogen-rich legumes rather than using synthetic fertilisers, and maintaining healthy soils through crop rotations and composting.
  4. Organic Farming can Provide Better Yields. Often it is thought organic farming might provide lower yields, however evidence suggests otherwise. The Rodale Institute Farming System Trial has shown organic crops, grown without GMOs and synthetic pesticides are actually more resilient to extreme weather. For example, during a drought, organic systems produced up to 24-34% higher yields.
  5. Organics Support a Sustainable Future for NZ  Humanity has come to a critical point in history, where food production must become innovative to support a growing population and the planet. 

    Here in NZ, the organization Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ), have a vision to make the world more sustainable through organics. They have a mission to nurture and protect the environment and to enhance the wellbeing of New Zealanders. 

    OANZ have created 4 principles of organic agriculture which include Health, Ecology, Fairness and Care. Through this focus, they have put together the 2022 New Zealand Organic Sector Strategy, which will be used to take New Zealand’s fast-growing organic industry to the next level. It’s inspiring to see action being taken in NZ, for New Zealanders. 

Is organic food worth the price tag?    

Simply put, organic farming costs more. The sustainable production processes reviewed above are more labour intensive and certainly more expensive. Rather than using commercially subsidized synthetic pesticides, organic farmers utilize crop rotation and manure or seaweed for healthy soils, which can add to labour costs. Organic certifications themselves also take time and money. 

Organic food appears more expensive when considering the monetary price alone. However, when you consider the true cost of food, which includes the price on the planet and on our health, it may be a more realistic price than the cheap conventionally grown food. So, the question is: Is organic food worth it to you? 

For a few tips and tricks on how to eat more organics while sticking to a budget, check out, 7 Simple Steps to Going Organic. 

Chantal Organics is a Napier-based, organic producer of award-winning granolas and spreads, along with offering a range of organic snacks and pantry staples. Sharing the same values around organics, they have been a regular sponsor of Organic Week.

The farm-to-kitchen model bringing food sovereignty to India

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This story was first published in Organic NZ in our May/June 2017 issue and is re-published here to mark the passing of Satheesh Periyapatana, founder and Executive Director of Deccan Development Society (DDS), in March 2023.

Food sovereignty is an important issue in a world of increasing centralisation, and in our documentary ‘The Worm is Turning’ it’s one of many subjects we address.

We’d heard about PV Satheesh and the Deccan Development Society (DDS, ddsindia.com) in Andhra Pradesh, India. Founded in 1987, this organisation, has been helping thousands of Dalit women fertilise poor quality land they had been given in the time of land reformation, which has enabled these women to produce their own food. (Dalit is the preferred name of a group of castes in India who were formerly known as ‘untouchables’.)

Now they are completely independent from a marketplace which prices food way beyond their means. So they became the story of food sovereignty in the film, and off we went to India.

We got a glimpse of the ‘new shining India’ once we arrived in Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh. A brand-new white taxi whisked us across a spanking new super highway, way above the ‘old India’ from the airport to a globalised hotel. From there we got into a beat-up old Tata taxi, and off we drove into the red dust of ‘old India’ towards the village of Pastapur, to meet PV Satheesh and some of the women farmers.

We had been living on industrial idlis in the new India, and were starting to feel worn out from lack of good nutrition. Before doing anything else, we were issued a tray of food: millet and sorghum cooked in various delicious ways. I could feel myself becoming more present and awake. It’s one of the great benefits of fresh, unprocessed, organic food.

Before he and others founded DDS, PV Satheesh had been a big, swanky TV producer in Mumbai, but became disenchanted with modern city life and bored with his work. 25 years later, DDS has been working with mostly women’s groups in over 75 villages in the Medak region of Andhra Pradesh. PV introduced us to three women: Chandramma, Ratnamma and Samamma, three of over 5000 Dalit women who have become master farmers. “A Dalit person in India,” says PV, “is considered the lowest of the low, and if you’re a woman, well you’re at the bottom.”

Samamma had been working as a farm labourer, earning two rupees a day to support a sick husband and four children. Sometimes she was paid and sometimes she wasn’t. Now, having been issued land and being helped by DDS, she farms her land and feeds 15 people.

Millet and sorghum are the major crops, as they are sturdy plants that require very little water and can grow in poor soils.

It’s a farm-to-kitchen model,” says PV. “Everything that you need for your food is grown on the farm.”

Millet and sorghum are the major crops, as they are sturdy plants that require very little water and can grow in poor soils, and the women plant different varieties. “So the basic principles of diversity in poor people’s lands, is that if you lose one, you gain something else. So you don’t lose 100% of anything.”

Along with the millet in the field they plant hibiscus, as it produces a lot of leaves, many of which drop onto the ground to create fertiliser. It’s also used in their cuisine as a green.

Pigeon pea is interspersed to provide nitrogen to the soil, as well as being the main ingredient for dhal dishes. Sunflowers are in abundance and provide oil. Sorghum stalks are very good fodder for their cows, and the hibiscus stems are good for weaving and rope.

Chandramma, who is a permaculture teacher, says: “That’s why we love these kinds of crops, and tell everyone to plant them. We arrange meetings where we show people all the reasons. This knowledge is getting lost, and we bring it back, and talk about why we must plant these crops.”

She maintains that some of the millets are medicinal, particularly for women who have just given birth. They have regular ‘sanghams’ to communicate between and within each village, to spread the knowledge.

Seed saving is absolutely vital, and their seed bank is filled with beautiful ceramic containers of seeds, specially prepared and kept in dark rooms.

“We save our own seeds. We select the best panicles, and mix it with neem leaves, then thresh it to take the seeds out. That is the seed for us next year, it’s our own seeds,” says Ratnamma, proudly displaying all her seeds from last year. (Neem leaves repel insect pests.)

DDS began working with the men, but soon realised that all the men wanted was to sell a commodity crop in the market to get money. The women kept asking why the organisation didn’t give them a voice and a chance to show what they could do. Eventually, DDS started to focus on the women only, as they were concerned more about health and the community.

Satheesh interprets what the women claim: “If I grow a mono crop, and I get let’s say 10,000 kilos, I don’t want it, because the 10,000 kilos becomes a marketable commodity. It becomes the property of my husband, who takes it to the market and takes away the money. But if this 10,000 kilos is divided into 10 or 20 different crops of smaller quantities, all of that stays home, and it becomes my property, I will have control over that. If it’s a large amount of one single grain, then it becomes a man’s property.

“So I think it’s a very feminist interpretation of what agriculture should be.”

The Worm is Turning, documentary, directed by Hilary Bain, 2016

This documentary focuses on how modern farming using harmful chemicals was spread from the West to Asia, using India as an example. The film looks at the health problems for humans and the environment, as well as the globalisation of this agriculture, from the ‘first world’ to the rest of the world. People interviewed include Vandana Shiva, Joel Salatin, and New Zealand’s own Meriel Watts. There are magnificent examples of farmers in the East and the West (such as those featured in this article), who demonstrate the possibility of sustainable, ecological farming systems, backed by an informed and supportive public, so the world’s farmers can farm as if the future mattered!

• Watch online for a small fee
• Buy the DVD or ask your organic shop to stock it
• Organise a screening for your friends, club or workplace: buy a screening licence.

thewormisturning.co

Hilary Bain was born in Zimbabwe and spent most of her life in California, watching and supporting the rise of one of the first organic farming movements. She’s an artist concerned with the relationship between the powerful and the powerless. She currently resides in Australia.

11 ways to get involved in Organic Week

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Whether you’re looking to volunteer in your community, add more organics to your life, or simply live a more climate friendly lifestyle, Kristen Capaccio has got some tips to support your journey. 

Organic Week is an opportunity for everyone to get involved and make a difference.  It is a week where people can come together to connect over a shared goal of making the world a better place, for today, tomorrow, and the future. 

5 ways to get involved within your community.

  1. Organise an event. If you’re a master multi-tasker, this is where you will shine. Here are a few ideas from past events, along with a bit of inspiration for new ones: urban or rural organic farm tour, movie night, plant-based potluck, get a local hero or speaker to share their story, organise a beach clean-up. Get some friends to help and start organising now.
  2. Create awareness in your community. Sometimes all it takes is for one good idea and someone with passion to get the ball rolling. 
    • Talk to the team at your local organic or natural food store. Are they running an event, and can you assist? 
    • Have you heard of WWOOF? See a new part of NZ and volunteer at an organic garden. 
    • Engage with your local library. Ask them to create an organic book display, host a speaker, or simply put up a poster. 
    • Volunteer at your local community garden or find out how you can support the local Garden to Table school program.
    • Visit your local environmental centre and ask how you can help. 
  3. Check out Green Drinks. Each month people who work in the environmental field meet up for informal sessions to share their knowledge and passion. This is a great way to meet people in your area and learn more about local sustainable initiatives.
  4. Write to your local MP. MPs represent you in Parliament and you have a right to contact them to discuss any issues. Share your concern about climate change and ask what their strategy is for supporting your community or specifically what their plan is to lower agricultural emissions. This easy-to-read article will help you get started. Find your local MP here.  
  5. Organise a carpool in your area. You may be wondering what this has to do with Organic Week? Living an organic lifestyle includes making eco-friendly decisions not only in the food you eat, but how lightly you tread on this earth. This is just a reminder that small initiatives add up and make a difference. To get you started, here is a link to Carpooling Guidelines, ridesharing tips and 2 ridesharing apps – Link and Zoomy. 

7 super simple ways to support Organic Week on your own.  

  1. Swap one non-organic food product in your grocery basket, with an organic product. Start with one product a week. If you’re not sure where to start check out our blog on simple steps to going organic.  
  2. Support local growers and producers, while reducing food miles. Try to include some locally grown, organic or spray-free produce in your weekly shop. Explore your local farmer’s market or independent stores. Go out of your way to eat seasonal, NZ-made products. Head over to our organic stockist directory to find organic stores, farmer’s markets and food box schemes.   
  3. Eat more plant-based food. Did you know it takes less resources to grow plants for human consumption than to feed stock and provide meat for human consumption?  Start by committing to 1 day a week to only eat plants. Here is a simple guide to eating plant based. 
  4. Stay up to date on what’s happening. Follow the Organic Week Instagram and Facebook pages. Check out the new Organic Week website and sign up for the newsletter here. Share posts, events and newsletters with friends and family. 
  5. Share ideas, inspiration, and hope. Get creative and design content (or use ours!) to share in your local networks such as sustainable facebook groups, environment centres, organic stores, farmers markets, gardening groups, etc. 
  6. Be a climate-friendly gardener. Start by planting bee-friendly plants in your garden. If you don’t have a green thumb, start small with herbs and greens, eliminating the need to buy herbs in plastic packets. We love this article about gardening in a changing climate. Or here is a beginners’ guide to eco-friendly gardening. 
  7. Become Future Fit with this NZ designed interactive program. Get started with a simple 5-minute survey to give you an idea of your impact on the planet. From there you can get climate friendly tips, track and share your progress and see how everyday actions can make a difference.   

Organic Week is an opportunity for hope. A chance to talk about the positive changes we can make. A week to empower yourself and feel part of a greater good. This week is about picking just one thing you can do to help. Where will you start? 

Organics is climate action

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by Pete Huggins

This year the Organic NZ Awards are celebrating how organic production lowers carbon emissions through increased soil health and biodiversity.

We’ve also decided to embrace regenerative agriculture (often called regen for short). Regen is the latest in a strong lineage of values-based farming systems with ecosystems and nature at their heart. And there’s a lot to like about organics and regen coming together, because we know that a focus on soil and farm biodiversity can have climate benefits.

Nominations for the 2023 Awards have just opened and run until March 22nd. Categories include the Organic Regenerative Farmer of the Year, Emerging Organic Leader of the Year and Organic Brand of the Year. You can nominate yourself, or somebody else.

Organics is climate action

Farmers and growers around New Zealand are working hard to reduce their carbon footprint. This includes many regenerative farmers who are certified organic. And these growers are also getting a price premium for their produce. So the 2023 Organic NZ Awards are about celebrating these leaders. The Awards are about inspiring more people to realise the holistic benefits of organics.

Organics is an internationally accredited and recognised verification. This means shoppers have a guarantee that their purchases aren’t being greenwashed. We believe customer demand for ethical and sustainable food will only increase. It means New Zealand can embrace this trend with a shift to organic regenerative farming.

About the awards

The Organic NZ Awards are presented by Organic NZ magazine as part of annual Organic Week celebrations. Winners will be announced during Organic Week on May 4th.

Organic Week is an annual celebration, held 1-7 May this year, organised by The Soil & Health Association of New Zealand and Organics Aotearoa New Zealand.

Organic Week is sponsored by Countdown, BiolChim New Zealand, Farmlands, Asure Quality, Kokako Coffee, Chantal Organics, TraNZalpine Honey, Pernergetic New Zealand, Waihi Bush and the Open Polytechnic.

Three peer-reviewed awards will be decided by a group of judges. These categories are: Organic Regenerative Farmer of the Year, Emerging Organic Leader of the Year and Organic Brand of the Year. Five peoples’ choice awards will be decided by public vote. These categories are: Organic Food Product of the Year, Organic Beverage of the Year, Organic Non-Food Product of the Year, Community Garden of the Year and Farmers’ Market of the Year.

Pete Huggins is the General Manager of the Soil & Health Association of New Zealand, and chair of Organic Week 2023

The Therapeutic Products Bill: A step forward for natural health products?

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Natural health products are included in the Therapeutic Products Bill which was presented to Parliament at the end of last year. Dr Sandra Clair looks at the reasoning behind it and says that, if executed well, this could be a step in the right direction for pluralistic medicine in New Zealand.
We hope you enjoy this free article from OrganicNZ.  Join us to access more, exclusive members-only content.

The Therapeutic Products Bill intends to establish a new regulatory regime for therapeutic products, including plant-based medicines and dietary supplements (Natural Health Products). Submissions closed 15 February 2023. The Health Committee is due to report back to the House of Representatives on 14 June 2023. 

Health is the biggest asset we have, an asset that many people wish to actively support. Until now, this has been rather difficult to do using herbal medicines or dietary supplements due to outdated regulatory restrictions that prohibit the description of their therapeutic purpose.   

Take the example of cough medicines. You have a debilitating chronic cough, you go into a store and look for a natural product to help you to get rid of this cough. However, no natural product describes this complaint.  At best you can only find products labelled with vague descriptions such as ‘relax and soothe a tight chest’.  

In contrast, if you were in Australia, Canada, or countries in the European Union (EU), you could select a product that clearly references your condition: ‘Traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to relieve both dry and mild chesty coughs’. If you were in Switzerland, the basic public health insurance would even pay for a natural cough medicine, as such remedies are listed as effective and safe medicines. 

History

Traditional plant medicines (TPMs) are therapeutic substances derived from plants that grow naturally in our environment and are used according to long-established medical customs. Over centuries they have been the mainstream medicines on all levels of care, grounded in an impressive body of empirical evidence. For example, seventy-five percent of 119 widely used modern drugs are either compounded directly from medicinal plants or synthesised based on plant structures, and they have the same or similar therapeutic purpose as they originally had in traditional medicine. 

Fit for the future?

The Therapeutic Products Bill replaces the Medicines Act 1981 and Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985.  More than 10 years in the making, it is intended to be a flexible regulatory framework for how therapeutic products are manufactured, prescribed, imported, advertised, supplied and exported, and make the regulation of clinical trials more robust. 

Health Minister Andrew Little said it will enable New Zealand to take advantage of advances in medicine, such as cell and tissue therapies, emerging gene therapies, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning software.  

“Having risk-proportionate approval systems will improve access to necessary and life-saving medicines, such as vaccines in a pandemic.” 

Fit for the future?

The Therapeutic Products Bill replaces the Medicines Act 1981 and Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985.  More than 10 years in the making, it is intended to be a flexible regulatory framework for how therapeutic products are manufactured, prescribed, imported, advertised, supplied and exported, and make the regulation of clinical trials more robust. 

Health Minister Andrew Little said it will enable New Zealand to take advantage of advances in medicine, such as cell and tissue therapies, emerging gene therapies, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning software.  

“Having risk-proportionate approval systems will improve access to necessary and life-saving medicines, such as vaccines in a pandemic.”

Popularity

Legislation and consumer trends have clearly forked in New Zealand over many decades. The upsurge in organic food consumption is directly linked to an increasing awareness that our bodies function best when they are well nourished and maintained whilst minimally exposed to foreign and toxic chemicals. The same principles apply when it comes to healthcare, where natural medicines are successfully applied as a first line of defense in common and non-life-threatening illnesses.  

The World Health Organisation estimates that about 80% of people around the world use traditional therapeutics to care for their health. Notably, the prevalence of their use is also high in countries where access to pharmaceutical medicine is subsidised, chiefly because they are used to prevent health issues from arising in the first place and are seen as safer than drugs to deal with self-limiting or chronic health complaints. 

In New Zealand, traditional systems of medicine are used to address primary healthcare needs, as is broadly consistent with the majority of countries around the world. Studies estimate that about 50% of adults and 70% of children use therapies and preparations from sources outside pharmaceutical healthcare, with plant medicines being the most prevalent non-pharmaceutical form of self-medication. 

Legislative background

Despite their prevalent use, the current New Zealand legislation does not recognise traditional plant medicines as therapeutic products and does not acknowledge their positive contribution to care.   

There have been several attempts over the past decades to address the outdated regulatory framework regarding natural health products (NHPs). 

Most notable was the failed pursuit of a joint regulatory authority for medicines and other therapeutic products in partnership with Australia under the joint Australia New Zealand Therapeutic Products Act and the subsequently proposed stand-alone domestic bill last debated in 2016. The trans-Tasman regulatory system met strong concern from consumers and politicians for being overly restrictive and potentially harmful to New Zealand consumers and the natural health industry. The subsequently proposed New Zealand-only regime (the Natural Health and Supplementary Products Bill) acknowledged the low risks of herbal medicines and dietary supplements. It intended to protect consumer choice by providing an appropriate, low-cost access regime to NHPs that are safe, effective, and suitable for use in self-treatment. It enjoyed wide political cross-party, industry, and consumer support, and had passed the second reading in Parliament, despite a minor but vocal opposition. It was a surprise when the incoming Labour government shelved this bill in 2017 due to coalition talks with New Zealand First. 

From an international perspective, the current New Zealand legislative framework is out of step. It is a legacy of our colonial past, and does not align with World Health Organisation directives to support and integrate traditional and complementary medicine as a vital part of state-supported or state-funded healthcare to universally cover primary health needs of all residents.  

From a domestic perspective, current regulations contravene provisions in the Treaty of Waitangi and also do not adequately support patient choice of healthcare, which is protected under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights Regulations 1996 of the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994. This is because the scope and purpose of traditional, non-pharmaceutical medicines cannot be accurately stated due to clauses in the Medicines Act 1981. Although the Dietary Supplement Regulations 1985 (part of the Food Act 1981) provides a framework of a sort for quality requirements, they too disallow therapeutic health claims on NHPs, even when a long-standing empirical knowledge-base or scientific evidence is available. Such restrictions impede appropriate use of these low or non-toxic health products and may even promote the inappropriate use of them through the resulting paucity of appropriate consumer information. 

This contrasts with health policies in Australia, Canada and European countries that legally protect the status of traditional medicines. For example, the EU Directive 2004/24/EC grants traditional medicines their own regulatory classification as Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products. Switzerland has gone a step further: since the binding constitutional referendum in 2009, phytotherapy (plant-based medicine) is a treatment option that must be adequately integrated into public healthcare services for its citizens. This constitutional guarantee enables plant medicines to be funded through basic health insurance and secures patient-centred and cost-effective treatment options alongside pharmaceutical drugs and technological interventions. 

Rongoā

While all traditional and herbal medicines and dietary supplements such as vitamins and minerals are included under natural health products, it is not clear yet how rongoā, the holistic healing practices based on tikanga and mātauranga Māori, and in particular rākau plant-based remedies, will be treated under TPB and its regulations.  

Rongoā Māori is a Te Tiriti-protected taonga, however, there is no explicit reference to Te Tiriti o Waitangi protection clauses in the released draft. At the first reading in Parliament the Minister of Health Hon Andrew Little noted that he has since commissioned a workstream to consider how the ‘regulatory settings support the traditional practice of rongoā while balancing this objective against the need to provide assurances for patient safety and export market access for rongoā practitioners’.  

It will be essential that Māori have input in line with the intent of the Crown-Māori partnership model. 

Therapeutic Products Bill

The Therapeutic Products Bill (TPB) intends to establish a new regulatory regime that includes plant-based medicines and dietary supplements under the category of natural health products (NHPs). It repeals all secondary legislation made under the Medicines Act 1981 and revokes the Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985, with the aim to provide comprehensive, risk-proportionate regulation of the various categories of therapeutic products and technologies.  

While the current Medicines Act is administered under Medsafe, the TPB proposes to establish a new Therapeutic Products Regulator that would be responsible for ensuring the safety, quality, and efficacy of regulated products, including natural health products, across their lifecycle. The TPB acknowledges the generally lower-risk of NHPs, which are therefore intended to be evaluated against different standards than those for higher-risk pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices. 

It is positive that the TPB recognises plant-based medicines and dietary supplements as therapeutic products as this will allow informed consumer choice, e.g. a herbal remedy for cough will be able to say so.  

The TPB also recognises that herbal medicines and dietary supplements are generally low risk. Based on this, it aims to enable a cost-effective regime that gives New Zealanders confidence that their trusted natural health products will remain available, are true to label, and provide the health benefits claimed for them.  

If the TPB is passed by Parliament, it will potentially take another 1-2 years to develop the detailed regulations required to complete the regulatory scheme before it comes into force, with a backstop date of 1 September 2026. If done well, TPB could pave the way for a pluralistic healthcare system that – in the words of WHO  – finally emphasises people’s rights to quality health services that are available, accessible, affordable, and culturally acceptable. 

TPB detail

There is still a significant amount of detail that needs to be determined in secondary legislation to be made under the TPB. It will be imperative that these regulations reflect a regime that is appropriate, feasible, practical, and affordable for NHPs. Dr Clair points out some areas that need clarification and resolution to ensure the objectives of the Bill: 

  1. The list of approved ingredients is as wide as possible.   
  1. In the absence of negative safety reports evidence, a natural health product should be grand-fathered into the system by granting market authorisation if it has been in the New Zealand market for a minimum of 10 years. This ‘well-established use’ principle is a recognised regulatory principle.    
  1. Traditional plant medicines are distinct in their healing purpose and long-standing evidence base from modern dietary supplements which were developed in the 20th century to address nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, they require separate considerations. The right to formally access and use them needs to be adequately protected.  
  1. A definition is needed for ‘Traditional Medicine’ and ‘Traditional Practice’. This should include Rongoā Māori and all WHO-recognised medical traditions. 
  1. The TPB permits health benefit claims with scientific evidence or traditional use. It should also permit those health benefit claims trusted by overseas regulators (e.g. Australia, Canada, EU, UK, Switzerland). Such regulators permit reference to therapeutic uses recorded in authoritative clinical textbooks and monographs as this professional body of literature is the most comprehensive and clinically relevant repository of traditional and empirical evidence. In oral traditions, e.g. Rongoā Māori, recognized traditional experts embody this medical knowledge, and this should be admissible as evidence of traditional use. 
  1. The regulations should allow flexibility in description of conditions. For NHPs, the naming of conditions should not be solely based on the  International Classification of Diseases (the ICD) but also by their equivalent in traditional or lay terms, so that they can be related back to traditional evidence and be generally understood by members of the public.  
  1. Practitioner-only category : professionally trained Medical Herbalists and Naturopaths need to be able to maintain access to stronger acting practitioner-only products (not sold over-the-counter). In addition, Schedule 1 of the current Medicines Regulations prevents medical practitioners from legally accessing several traditionally used plant species because they are regulated as pharmaceutical substances in conjunction with their synthetic isolates, regardless of their distinctly different risk profiles and applications. In other jurisdictions, e.g. the UK, such plant species and their whole-plant extracts are available to suitably trained natural health practitioners. Dietary supplements will need to be allowed to contain adequate therapeutic levels of active constituents. 
  1. Many of the ingredients listed under the previous Permitted Substance List (PSL) for natural health products are in fact synthetics. Other jurisdictions, e.g. Switzerland, request the identification of a substance to the public as either natural or synthetic due to their different characteristics, i.e. relating to risk and bioavailability, and consumer preferences. Labelling of New Zealand NHPs should be similarly transparent. 
  1. It is essential that the yet to be appointed advisory committee and proposed dedicated authority is filled with formally engaged subject matter experts on all aspects of traditional and nutritional medicine, namely its products, practices, and professions, and that the administration of these products is separate from pharmaceutical medicines and medical devices. 
  1. The cost recovery framework needs to ensure that compliance costs are fair and equitable for the low-risk NHPs regulated under this Bill so that they remain affordable given that they are presently non-subsidised but used as primary healthcare remedies. 

Have your say

Closing date for submissions on the proposed Therapeutics Products Bill has been extended to 5 March 2023. Go to the New Zealand Parliament website for an online submission form to make your opinion count. 

Soil & Health Association NZ have published their submission regarding the Bill. View this here: https://soilandhealth.org.nz/submissions/submission-of-the-soil-health-association-on-the-therapeutic-products-bill/

References

  1. Farnsworth NR, editor. Ethnopharmacolgy and drug development. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons; 1994. 
  2. Barnes J, McLachlan AJ, Sherwin CMT, Enioutina EY. Herbal medicines: Challenges in the modern world. Part 1. Australia and New Zealand. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol. 2016;9(7):905-915. 
  3. Chrystal K, Allan S, Forgeson G, Isaacs R. The use of complementary/alternative medicine by cancer patients in a New Zealand regional cancer treatment centre. The New Zealand Medical Journal (Online). 2003;116(1168). 
  4. Wilson K, Dowson C, Mangin D. Prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in Christchurch, New Zealand: Children attending general practice versus paediatric outpatients. N Z Med J. 2007;120(1251):U2464. 
  5. Medsafe. Australia New Zealand Therapeutic Products Agency (ANZTPA). 2012. 
  6. Ellena KR. The uncritical enthusiasts versus the uninformed sceptics: Regulation of complementary and alternative medicines. J Law Med. 2005;13(1):106-124. 
  7. Ministry of Health. Natural health and supplementary products. 2017. 
  8. World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Declaration of Astana. 30.04.2019 ed2018. 
  9. Legislation Direct. Ko Aotearoa tēnei: A report into claims concerning New Zealand law and policy affecting Māori culture and identity. Te taumata tuatahi (Waitangi Tribunal report). Wellington, New Zealand2011. 
  10. Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights Regulations 1996, Pub. L. No. 08.10.2018. 
  11. Schweizerischer Bundesrat. Komplementärmedizin: Vergütung neu geregelt. Complementary Medicine Research2017. p. 268. 
  12. World Health Organization. The regional strategy for traditional medicine in the Western Pacific (2011-2020). Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2012. 
  13. Parliament NZ. Therapeutic products bill — first reading. Hasard (Debates) [Internet]. 13 Dec 2022. Available from: https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20221213_20221214_20. 
  14. Organization WH. WHO Drug Information. 2002;16(2). 
  15. Colquhoun I. Medicines with a ‘well established use’. The Journal of the European Medical Writers Association. 2009;18(1):18-20. 
  16. Linnenbrink N. International comparison of specific requirements for registration of phytopharmaceuticals with focus on the European Community. Planta Med. 1990;56:502-503. 
  17. The Medicines (Retail Sale or Supply of Herbal Remedies) Order 1977, (1970). 

About the author

Dr Sandra Clair (PhD Health Sciences) established the multiple award-winning plant medicine business, Artemis. Using her skills in health sciences and Swiss medical herbalism, underpinned by academic research into a rare Renaissance medical textbook, Dr Clair formulated plant medicines for her clients, then after 1998 sold these directly to health stores, pharmacies, and practitioners and eventually exporting.  

Until July 2021, Dr Clair had a strategic management and governance role overseeing the quality and leading the research and development program of Artemis. She is now a presenter, writer, regulatory advisor and a noted voice for medical herbalism. Watch her TedX presentation on Integrating plant-based medicine into New Zealand’s healthcare system.

The Bill in full

Soil & Health NZ life member Philippa Jamieson, reviewed the 288 pages of the Therapeutic Products Bill 

The bill seeks to regulate the manufacture, sale, importing, exporting, prescribing, dispensing, and other activities involving therapeutic products. It covers three classes of products:  

  • medicines – e.g. pharmaceutical drugs, vaccines, gene therapies, cell and tissue therapies, and ‘biologics’ (such as donated blood, tissue, organs, microorganisms), 
  • medical devices – anything from bandages to pacemakers, dental crowns, surgical mesh, software used therapeutically, robotic surgery machines, 
  • natural health products (NHPs) – e.g. vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal remedies, tinctures, homeopathics, probiotics.  

Many people are concerned that the bill – and the accompanying regulations that are yet to be written – could result in fewer and costlier natural health products. Smaller businesses could struggle with the time and expense of compliance. 

“[The bill] gives a blank cheque to a regulator to tell us what herbs and supplements we can use and in what quantity [or dose],” says food safety and natural medicine advocate Dr Guy Hatchard. “They are also allowed to tell us what herbs we can’t use.”  

Rongoā Māori are not mentioned in the bill, but the regulator must ‘give effect to the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi and take account of mātauranga Māori and Māori perspectives’.  

The bill gives wide decision-making powers to whoever is appointed regulator, with no guarantee that person will have expertise in natural health, traditional medicines and different cultural approaches, or consult with appropriate people who do. It’s more likely a Western medical and pharmaceutical framework will dominate.  

In 2017 Medsafe drafted a list of over 7000 NHPs to be permitted substances (which may be adopted and adapted for the new regulations) that included many synthetic substances such as additives with known health risks.  

It’s not only about natural health products. Some are concerned the bill could allow increased use of biotechnology, such as gene therapies. Regulation is needed, but can it keep up with this rapidly changing field? 

Another question is around liability: currently the Crown can’t be held criminally liable for breaches of the current Medicines Act – should this be changed in the new bill, as the Crown is a large user of therapeutic products in our health system? 

Also, the bill would continue to allow direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines. What do you think about this?  

The scope of the bill is wide and there is much to consider. The regulations have to be workable for small businesses and practitioners such as naturopaths, and allow for safe, effective, affordable, culturally appropriate healthcare products and a range of choices.  

“We can’t sell laxative teas, or at least can’t say a tea has that effect,” an organic shop staff member said recently. “How does that help people who could really benefit from it?”  
Health benefit claims are just part of the Therapeutic Products Bill currently before parliament. The bill would allow the makers of those herbal teas to claim laxative effects on the label – if they gain approval of the product, approval of the therapeutic claim, and pay whatever fees are set.  

Tourism doesn’t have to cost the earth

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The tourism dollar is coming back, but at what cost?
Claire Brunette investigates how New Zealand can, and does, balance the effect on the environment while still reaping the rewards in our economy.

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With vertiginous snowy peaks, pōhutukawa-fringed beaches and geothermal areas it’s not hard to see why Aotearoa New Zealand attracts tourists.

In the year ending March 2020, tourism was our largest export industry, representing $16.4 billion, or 5.5 percent of GDP. Though still only half of pre-pandemic levels, since the border reopened in July 2022, international visitors have been returning in rapid numbers with international arrivals reaching 172,269 in August 2022. With this new bloom of travellers comes a significant environmental impact. A 2018 study estimated that tourism is responsible for around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Construction, energy use, transport, souvenirs, food consumption and waste all impact the local area and global climate.

It’s not all bad news. Done well, tourism can benefit local communities and their economy, raise awareness and funds for wildlife, increase happiness and well-being and create a rich understanding of other cultures.

So how do we find the balance? How can we benefit from the positive aspects of tourism while minimising the detrimental ones?

The answer might lie in ecotourism. Sustainable tourism or ecotourism is defined by the International Ecotourism Society as ‘responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education’. They define ecotourism principles to be followed.

Bridge to Nowhere, Wanganu
Hooker Valley Track, Aoraki Mt Cook National Park
Dolphins at Kaikoura
Milford Sound

The International Ecotourism Society’s list of ecotourism principles

  • Minimise physical, social, behavioural, and psychological impacts.
  • Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
  • Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.
  • Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.
  • Generate financial benefits for both local people and private industry.
  • Deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climates.
  • Design, construct and operate low-impact facilities.
  • Recognise the rights and spiritual beliefs of the indigenous people in your community and work in partnership with them to create empowerment.

Treading lightly

About half of the emissions produced by tourism are from transportation. If you are helicoptering into your eco-lodge, are you really engaging in sustainable tourism?

New Zealand’s scale and diversity make it a paradise for getting around using your own, eco-friendly, muscle. Walking, cycling trails and kayaking spots run the whole length of the country and are a great choice for low- emission transport. One such jewel is the Mountain to Sea cycle trail which takes riders from the stark magnificence of Tongariro National Park, along the culturally and historically significant Whanganui River to the wild west coast.

Te Araroa, the walking path that runs from Cape Reinga to Bluff, is growing in popularity. Executive director of the trail, Matt Claridge, anticipates, “over 3000 walkers on Te Araroa this season, nearly double previous numbers”. They’ve seen that the success of the trail is already having an economic impact on small towns along the trail. There’s something very pleasing about being able to walk the length of New Zealand and if you don’t have the time to put aside for the whole thing at once you can complete small sections over time.

Showcasing the sea

Aotearoa is blessed not only with breathtaking scenery, but unique geographic features that enable us to interact with marine wildlife.

The Hikurangi Trench rises to its southern end just off the coast of Kaikoura, creating a feeding ground for the spectacular parāoa sperm whale, amongst others.

Whale Watch Kaikoura is 100% owned by the local tangata whenua. The business has been a driving force in the local community’s development into an ecotourism destination. Their boats have propulsion systems that reduce the underwater noise level (an important precaution as whales are sensitive to sound). In keeping with ecotourism values, they give back to the local community through sponsorship and contribute data and financial support to scientific research on marine mammals in the local area.

Milne Bay, Taupo
Great Taste Trail, Nelson

In New Zealand, whale-watching and dolphin-swimming operators must secure a permit from the Department of Conservation (DOC). They must prove that their business is in the interest of ‘conservation, management and the protection of marine mammals’. This limits the number of operators in the area and ensures that the animal’s natural behaviour remains unchanged. And interaction with humans does have an effect on animals. In 2021 DOC implemented extra measures to protect local bottle-nosed dolphins in the Bay of Islands as identifiable dolphins declined from 278 in 1999 to just 26. The dolphins were spending too much time interacting with the boats, leaving them with limited time to eat, rest and care for their babies. When you are selecting a company to observe or interact with our marine mammals, ensure they have certification.

Founded in 1954, family-owned RealNZ employs more than 500 people and opens up the south of the South with a range of cruises, ferries, tours, and ski resorts and include activities such as jet boating, scenic flights and a coal- powered steamship. To reduce their CO2 footprint they are founding members of Hydrogen New Zealand (promoting hydrogen technology), are investigating battery and fuel cell technology for both their road and marine fleet and have already established a number of electric charging stations and renewable energy systems. They say their biggest impediment to reducing their carbon footprint is the historic steamship, TSS Earnshaw, which uses one tonne of coal every hour.

Involved in conservation from the beginning with the Save Manapouri Campaign in the 60s, RealNZ have a dedicated conservation and sustainability team who oversee a number of restoration, pest-eradication, research and education projects throughout Fiordland.

As co-founder Les Hutchins said in 1998, “Tourism and conservation need each other for mutual survival”.

Actively auditing their procurement and waste, RealNZ prioritise buying local, promote product stewardship, and recycle or reuse wherever possible. Amongst many other awards and recognitions, RealNZ holds Qualmark Enviro Gold status.

Sustainability Certifications

Tiaki – Care for New Zealand

A collaborative effort between seven groups, including Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand and DOC. Tiaki encourages domestic and international visitors to care for New Zealand while travelling.

Qualmark New Zealand

Qualmark is New Zealand tourism’s official quality assurance organisation. Tourism operators displaying a Qualmark award provides assurance of a sustainable quality experience. An independent evaluation assesses an operator’s commitment to the environment, people and safety.

New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment

Developed by Tourism Industry Aotearoa with the aim to see every New Zealand tourism business committed to sustainability by 2025. They have a Carbon Challenge to track carbon use so businesses can show their progress.

Balancing the budget

Marine social scientist Jessica Giannoumis says on her podcast, Jess explores, that ecotourism is often “painted as a prestigious thing that only people with a lot of money could afford.” Giannoumis thinks this is an odd way of looking at eco-tourism and believes you can have eco-tourism everywhere. She recommends that you “look out for local tourism providers who can show you a different way of experiencing the area you live in.”

Fortunately, there are very affordable options available all over New Zealand.

DOC oversees our thirteen national parks in addition to other conservation areas and many reserves. They run a number of huts and campsites that offer accommodation with very low climate impact (composting toilets!) and are located in both accessible and isolated spots throughout the country.

Set in Northland, the privately run, family-friendly Russel-Orongo Bay Holiday Park is one place to consider if you have young children as it offers classic holiday park fun while offering the chance to get up close to weka, pāteke and the brown kiwi. They have long been dedicated to conservation and sustainability practices, and as part of their eco-statement, they say that “We also want to provide our guests with the mātauranga (knowledge) they need to continue their own journey in kaitiakitanga and conservation”.

In 1975, Fred Dagg famously sang ‘We Don’t Know How Lucky We Are’. Hopefully, we are starting to understand. Making choices that protect what we have and repair what we’ve lost might be the best way to give back to the land we live in.

Claire Brunette is a writer, keen camper, owner of a potted organic garden and increasingly desperate advocate for sustainability living in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Hydroponics: can it count as organic?

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Ahead of the government passing the Organic Products Bill, the Soil & Health Association’s former general manager Pete Huggins talks dirt and water with horticulturists.

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When this magazine was launched in 1942 it was called Compost Club Magazine. Many are attached to the name – and for good reason. Regenerating soils with organic matter and protecting their fertility for future generations remains a core value for many of you, as well as for us, and for the publisher of Organic NZ – the Soil & Health Association. 

Today, the importance of soils is headline news – for food security, for biodiversity and for carbon sequestration. 

Soil fertility is a core value of organics and this commitment is shared with the wider concept of regenerative agriculture, which organics is part of.  

But some would have it a different way, and want to see organics embrace other growing mediums including hydroponics. And in the USA, a long-running court case is being fought over the inclusion of hydroponics under the umbrella of organics. 

What’s the deal with hydroponics? 

Hydroponic systems don’t use soil at all. Instead, they use a solution of nutrients to grow crops like lettuces or berry fruit. This can be good for water conservation, and can be energy efficient, but undoubtedly there’s no soil involved, so you can’t improve its fertility.  

But among those calling for a rethink is retired New Zealand academic Dr Mike Nichols. Mike is an Honorary Member of the International Society for Horticultural Science, and in 2015 was presented with a lifetime achievement award by Vegetables New Zealand. He was one of the first to grow strawberries and blueberries hydroponically in New Zealand. Mike says organics needs to evolve, especially in light of climate change.  

“Hydroponics did not exist when organics was founded. Decisions were made that because hydroponics used only inorganic fertilisers it should be excluded. But organic hydroponics systems using organically derived nutrients overcome this objection.” 

Defining organics matters 

Later this year, the New Zealand government is expected to pass the Organic Products Bill. This bill will establish a government-backed organic standard. For the first time, we’ll have a legal framework around the term organic in Aotearoa.  

This is really important, for a number of reasons. Firstly, our international trade partners are getting serious about organics and we need to keep up. The EU plans to have a quarter of their agricultural land area using certified-organic production methods by 2030 (in case you wondered, European crops that are grown hydroponically cannot be labelled as organic). Japan recently threatened to raise trade barriers against New Zealand in response to glyphosate residues in our honey exports. Even the US government is subsidising farm conversions to organics.  

Our export dollars aren’t the only reason we need a strong legal standard for organics. More important is the issue of trust. Organics is about trust in where your food comes from. Organic consumers will tell you they want their food grown in a way that protects nature. They want pesticide-free, GE-free, high animal welfare standards, good employment conditions, and action on climate change. Without a rigorous standard, you can’t trust your food. If we get this wrong in New Zealand, we will lose that trust. And then all the trade deals in the world can’t save us. Certified-organic food in New Zealand is reliable, but at the moment there’s nothing stopping someone using the name falsely. That’s why it is so important to check for a certification label on what you buy. 

Unfortunately, experience from the US shows us that legislating for the word “organic” can still go seriously wrong. The relevant US law is the Organic Foods Production Act, which contains a clause that organic production “shall contain provisions designed to foster soil fertility”. However, in 2019 the US government refused to crack down on organic certifiers who were approving the use of hydroponic systems. This is now the subject of expensive court appeals in the US.  

Dr Nichols thinks the US organic regulations are much more realistic for the twenty-first century by allowing hydroponics. He is worried the New Zealand standard might exclude hydroponics, thus making soil-based organics uncompetitive.  

This worry is shared in a different way by the Real Organic Project, a US group established to reassert soil-based organic values in America. They say that real organic farmers in the US are struggling to compete in a dishonest marketplace. They believe that the inclusion of hydroponics is driven by the large industrial players, saying: “Big Ag ultimately won, allowing the . . . hydroponic industries to bend the rules for their own benefit.” 

Bringing it back to soil 

Soil-based agriculture is also a central value behind regenerative agriculture (regen ag) which has attracted serious attention in recent years. But Dr Nichols makes the point that regenerative agriculture by itself isn’t enough to deliver healthy food: “The concept of regenerative agriculture is good, if it means reducing the use of agricultural chemicals and of cultivation. But if it means not supplying minerals, which may not be present in the soil, and ‘hoping’ that the bed rock (or the soil) will supply them, then it is away with the fairies. Nitrogen is the only element that can be imported into the soil naturally.” The addition of organic fertiliser (certified-organic inputs for organic farming) are the answer to this constraint in any farm system, whether hydroponic or not. 

None of the current organic certifiers in New Zealand allow hydroponics and have no plans to do so. BioGro  
chief executive Donald Nordeng was unequivocal, saying, “There is no such thing as organic hydroponics, so we don’t certify any.” 

This stands us in good stead when it comes to our own legislation. Organic leaders in Aotearoa are focused on healthy soil and nature-based food systems. Hua Parakore, the indigenous verification and validation system created by Te Waka Kai Ora, the national Māori organics authority, is similarly soil-based.  

So it seems unlikely that hydroponics can fit under the umbrella of organics in Aotearoa. The Ministry of Primary Industries is currently working with sector leaders to reach agreement around the organic standard. Ultimately, it is ministers that will decide. MPI told Organic NZ that they are listening to what the sector says on a range of topics, including what should be in or out of the scope of the standard. MPI will be writing up the proposals that have come out (including where the sector has agreed to disagree). The debate will continue well into next year. 

Marco’s sister Marije harvesting organic blueberries. The de Groots have been growing blueberries in Cambridge since the mid-1980s.

An organic grower’s perspective  

Marco de Groot is the general manager of Monavale Blueberries in Cambridge, which has been BioGro-certified since 1993. Here’s his perspective on hydroponics. 

Ideally, organic growers need to choose a location best suited for growing a particular crop, which includes soil type and climate. Emphasis should be on feeding soil biology, which in turns break down organic matter into nutrients; creating humus rich in microbiological activity;  and maintaining a diverse sward, which aids in providing nutrients and as habitat for beneficial insects.  If this is carried out successfully over a period of years, then this system produces an improved biological cycle and provides more resilience to adverse effects such a droughts, pests and diseases. The ultimate goal is to achieve a high-brix environment and to create the best-tasting product that is high in nutrition and antioxidants, with a longer shelf life. 

Hydroponics and non-soil substrate fertigation systems rely on synthetically derived inputs and non-organic mediums, which are often imported from overseas, and for the reasons explained above do not align themselves with “traditional” and industry-accepted organic management practices. These systems tend to be used by conventional growers with unsuitable soil and challenging climatic conditions. It has a direct economic advantage to the grower as crops often are produced within a year rather than several years in the case of blueberries grown conventionally or organically in soil-field conditions. 

Both hydroponic and non-soil substrate fertigation systems force feed plants to create fast growing large plants, and fruit, require relatively high-energy inputs systems, and often lack a fully balanced nutritional complement.   

These systems do have a part to play in food security but these are systems are not organic! 

The wellbeing of food in Aotearoa

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We produce enough food in New Zealand to feed 40 million people, yet one in five Kiwi kids live in households that experience food insecurity.

Gareth Hughes talks about his new role as lead of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa. 

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How do you get a cabbage? My book, A Gentle Radical: The life of Jeanette Fitzsimons, was recently published, and in researching the biography I stumbled upon an unusual speech the late Green Party politician had given at the Fourth New Zealand Energy Conference entitled “Two Ways to Get a Cabbage”. What on earth did cabbages have to do with a late 1970s energy conference? Fortunately, I was able to track down a faded typewriter-written copy of her speech where Jeanette used the vegetable as an example of the very different approaches society takes to provide things like cabbages. 

The mainstream approach, even back then, was energy intensive, relying on artificial fertilisers, chemical pesticides, insecticides and fungicides, and complicated fossil fuel-dependent transport and retail chains. The embedded energy and resources that went into growing a commercial cabbage was huge, and if it wasn’t the uniform size, shape or appearance it would be thrown out rather than sold at the market. She contrasted that cabbage with the home-grown organic variety planted and tended with no need for machinery and pesticides, saying “It represents time, effort, caring and an exchange with the earth.” The home-grown cabbage was fresher, tastier and more nutritious but she pointed out that only the commercial cabbage was represented in official economic statistics of progress. 

Gareth Hughes and the late Jeanette Fitzsimons, 2018.
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What does our food really cost us? 

We’ve never had more volume of food produced globally than now but our connection to that food is at its lowest point in history. Are we looking at the bigger picture when we buy a cabbage or any item in our modern food system? The current paradigm is dominated by corporate giants, global trade networks and is dependent on huge inputs of energy and chemicals. While we might complain about the high cost of food in the supermarket as inflation rates rise, the really staggering cost is being paid by earth systems – soil, water and atmosphere. How we produce food is a major driver of climate change and biodiversity loss. Every year we draw down further on nature’s balance sheet while too often only valuing the financial one.  

Across my 20-year career as a progressive campaigner and Member of Parliament, food has remained as a major theme across all my mahi. I’ve led the engagement work for New Zealand’s food rescue sector, been arrested dressed as Ronald McDonald, which triggered the fast-food giant to ditch GE-fed chicken, protested palm oil ships and Fonterra’s gigantic use of coal, passed the Country of Origin of Food Act so Kiwis can know where their food has come from, and for our moana achieved a ban on shark finning and negotiated in government for cameras on fishing boats. Food touches every part of our lives, society and economy – how it’s grown, how it’s sold and who gets it. 

I’ve recently started working for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance, a global collaboration of organisations, individuals and governments to transform the economic system into one that prioritises shared well-being for people and the planet, as the Aotearoa country lead. A wellbeing economy would deliver purpose, nature, fairness and participation – what would that look like for food in New Zealand? 

Right now we have an unhealthy relationship with food. We export a volume of food that’s estimated to feed up to 40 million people yet one in five Kiwi kids live in households that experience food insecurity. There’s real hunger and malnutrition in New Zealand. Despite the cost of food – highlighted recently by the Commerce Commission’s staggering estimate that $1 million dollars a day in excess profit is being taken from consumers by the supermarket duopoly – on average, each New Zealand household throws out an estimated $1520 worth of food every year. Collectively, that’s more than $3 billion worth of good food rotting away and contributing to climate change. Agricultural production is responsible for half of New Zealand’s emissions, and dairy’s impact on our rivers and lakes, and nitrate contamination of water supplies are well-known problems. Every year 192 million tonnes of our most precious resource – soil – washes out to sea as a result of our land-use practices. New Zealand still sprays chemicals banned in Europe and uses destructive bottom-trawling fishing techniques, smashing ancient deep sea coral. 

Making progress 

Despite the gloom, there are bright spots emerging. We see the growth of food cooperatives and farmers’ markets where consumers can have a closer relationship with producers. The organics sector grew 20 percent between 2017 and 2020. Regenerative farming has become a household name, and more farmers are experimenting with reducing stocking rates and finding that their profits are increasing.  

Food-rescue organisations report 30 million meals were provided in the last year, turning an environmental problem into a social solution. Pātaka kai (free pantries) are popping up all over Aotearoa to facilitate sharing food. New products are hitting the market, from pea-protein meat alternatives and bread made from crickets to delicious oat milk brands. Growing numbers of New Zealanders are eating more plant-based meals for health, environmental or ethical reasons, and as a nation dependent on food and fibre exports, international consumers’ desires to purchase food with lower climate and higher animal-welfare standards continue to drive change. 

It could be said that today’s problems were once yesterday’s solutions. Around the turn of the millennium, farmers were actively encouraged to convert to dairy and expand into regions totally unsuited to hit exponential growth targets. A focus on volume over value has come with real costs. As we deal with today’s problems – dependence on milk powder exports, environmental degradation, the cost of food, genuine food poverty, and reliance on unethical inputs like palm kernel expeller and phosphate from occupied Western Sahara – we need to ensure we aren’t creating tomorrow’s problems. 

What would a fair system look like? 

A wellbeing economy of food would look at broader outcomes than just growth rates or profit; it would value wider issues as well – resiliency, sustainability, fairness and access.  

One positive example of this happening right now is the fact there is such a thing as a free lunch in New Zealand. Currently 220,000 kids are receiving free lunches in low-decile schools. The primary objective was to make sure children going without were fed, but what schools report are additional benefits for students’ health and food awareness. It’s impacting their attendance, ability to learn and participate in class and is building a sense of school community. It’s a solution-multiplier that was avoided for many years just on the question of cost, and is delivering significant benefits. Ideally we will build on the success and ensure the food used is organic, grown locally and that students can connect with growers. 

Another example is Wakatū, a company owned by 4000 Māori families in the Nelson region. Wakatū has a 500-year strategy focused on their tikanga, or values, the taonga that is the land and water, and manaakitanga for the people. Kono, their food branch, is one of the region’s largest employers and exports to more than 80 countries. 

Imagine if New Zealand and our food system had a 500-year strategy! We have made a start – factoring in well-being in our national budgets, and now we need to do that in all the decisions government and business make. How we grow a cabbage, produce milk or catch a fish matters more than just the quarterly profit and loss statement.

I believe thinking long term and holistically from a wellbeing perspective would encourage regenerative, restorative agriculture and food sovereignty. Tangata whenua would be able to harvest kai from healthy rivers and seas. We’d see more food forests and community gardens. We would eat food in season and we would know its provenance and how it was produced. Food poverty would be consigned to history and nutritious organic food would be available for all – not just those who can afford it. Let’s move from just counting commercial cabbages to valuing everything that matters.   

Gareth Hughes is a former Green Party MP and the country lead for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance: weall.org. 

Banned pesticide impacting New Zealand youth

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An insecticide called chlorpyrifos, banned in the US but still widely used here, is again under the spotlight due to risks of exposure in New Zealand children. An alliance of NGOs made an appeal to government on 5th June (World Environment Day) for regulators to start an urgent reassessment of chlorpyrifos – the next step towards tighter controls. The chemical is currently undergoing a UN process for a global ban because of its environmental and human health impacts.   

“Children are particularly at risk from exposure to even tiny amounts of chlorpyrifos, such as residues in food”, said Dr Meriel Watts of Pesticide Action Network.  

Dr Chris Hill of the EPA says chlorpyriphos has been identified on the Environmental Protection Authority’s priority chemicals list for reassessment. “Working through our priority chemical list is dependent on our assessment of need and our availability of resource.  When considering a potential reassessment, we look at the information available about the substance and about its use in New Zealand.  We also consider the technical evaluations of international regulators. If overseas information suggests we act sooner, we will.”