When it comes to the food we eat, most people will agree that it is essential, that it must be safe and should sustain the environment. But when it comes to how it’s produced, views can often vary.
Legislation and regulations can also be divisive. Beating the industry’s drum in government halls through debate, advocacy and delivery of facts may carry some weight, but ultimately the government makes the final decision for all.
The large majority that the current government enjoys enables decision-making without the need to seek support from other parties. The usual select committee processes and parliamentary debates take place when a new Bill appears, but once it reaches the debating chamber it is pretty much a fait accompli with opposition parties going unheard.
Recent examples include the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill, Resource Management Amendment Bill and the Public Finance (Wellbeing) Amendment Bill, which opposition parties voted against.
Officials appear overloaded with work and the risk is that the government will use its majority power to simply sign off on new policies to make life easier for their departments.
Several legislative reviews relating to agriculture are underway that should account for the agricultural industry’s views. The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act, Resource Management Act, and climate change legislation reviews will have major implications for the primary sector.
Industry can offer solutions to benefit the economy and the environment.
Solutions to some of our environmental issues:
- Genetically modified vaccines to reduce methane production in livestock.
- More efficient processes for trialling ‘softer’ chemistry.
- Review of the HSNO Act to remove the barriers to adopting gene editing technology.
Progressive and sensible legislation is necessary for a democratic country.
This government can have its cake and eat it, but without the agricultural sector to produce the ingredients for the cake, we will all get broiled.
