Shining a light on the sunset
Last weekend I attended the jubilee conference for the Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators. Although a lapsed member of the Guild, it was refreshing to be among such a dedicated and passionate group of people.
The Guild was formed 50 years ago to help give voice to the research and business of agriculture in New Zealand in a largely secular world. Then, as now, this special fraternity encourages and recognises the work of those often marginalised in the mainstream media despite the fundamental economic importance of the sector of their expertise.
The conference was a way to celebrate agriculture and those journalists who know the most about it.
As much as past governments may have wanted otherwise – with dreams of New Zealand as a regional finance hub, or a centre of IT excellence – agriculture continues to underpin the economy. Why has it not lived up to the tags of a sunset industry? Simply because agriculture and food are New Zealand’s natural competitive advantage.
In this context it was with some relish that the Knowledge Wave was recalled for its paucity of agribusiness representation. Around that time agriculture was popularly portrayed as the sunset industry.
Maintaining New Zealand’s edge in agriculture – and preserving our economic wellbeing – will depend on a debate we are still to have: the acceptance or not of GM technologies. Such technologies are fundamental to mitigating some the cost increases facing the sector.
We are now past the time when the country should be bullied out of resolving our position on such an important issue by a noisy minority which, until now, has successfully drowned out the principal finding of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification (2001), which was “proceed with caution.”
It is time for a grown-up debate on the role of GM in New Zealand Agriculture. Our future prosperity depends on it.
Tags: agriculture, media, NZ Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators