Trade Minister Tim Groser says New Zealand’s 100% pure brand is being damaged from within:
“Our enemies who are internal, will find one cow in one stream and feed it back to environmental activists in the developed world to be used to try to exclude New Zealand’s products and services in the ludicrous belief this will somehow help New Zealand.”
The 100% pure brand was used to market the New Zealand tourism experience and it has been deliberately manipulated in this space,” Mr Groser says.
There’s nothing like being overseas to help you realise just how relatively clean and green New Zealand is.
That is easier for us when we are relatively under-populated and it doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement.
But internal saboteurs who use isolated examples of what are usually insignificant problems to paint a dirty picture do the country a disservice.
They do nothing to improve the environment and pose a very real danger to the economy on which we depend if we are to afford the even cleaner, greener environment to which most of us aspire.
Homepaddock 
When you say go overseas to see just how clean and green NZ is, I take it you are not referring to countries with a green economy. Norway, for example, embraces sustainable farming in a way that NZ does not.
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I was in England, Holland, Spain and Thailand this time – all have a lot more people than we do which puts more pressure on the environment, though the Dutch use bikes to a far greater extent than anywhere else I’ve been. Looking at farming in the first three, I think our resource rules are stronger.
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Alternatively, the saboteurs are the people who pollute the streams and waterways, and treat them as personal sewers for their farms and factories.
There would be no one decrying the pollution of waterways if there were only isolated, accidental incidents of pollution. Instead, we have at least some business people who seem to regard the outdoors as one giant rubbish tip. These people are the real saboteurs.
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IMHO Deborah you are misguided. You fail to acknowlege the damage caused by concentrating on the bad. By all means bring it to the attention of those who can change it, but the “subversive” nature of “activists” does not solve the problem and often grossly overstates it.
As a recently retired farmer I abhor those in our industry who blatantly pollute, but applaud the many who, under difficult financial circumstances, are making real progress. Their example is the one we need to concentrate on and publicize.
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so deborah you mean like urban pollution the one who wash cars ,change oil,paint house then clean the brushes that enter the storm water system.urban are just as big as polluters as the farms
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This is your most blatant attempt yet, Ele, to pervert reality and re-wrap in shiny blue paper, all prettified and blue-rinsed.
It’s a shameful, transparent shill. I’m embarrassed for you.
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Ploughboy – your attempt to weigh urban polluters (car wash, paints etc.) with water pollution from farming is seriously misguided and fails all logical tests. Get some figures, man, and compare reality. Your ‘I wish it to be true, so it is true, doesn’t cut the mustard by anyone’s measure.
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Could Denny give some detail as to what percenatge of Norway’s food production is undertaken inside its own borders and what percenatge is imported. Also what amount of subsidy is paid to Norwegian famers? As a prudent practitioner on my own farm I have embraced the QE 2 trusts ideals and retired 243 hectares of either full native or regenerating native forest. By my estimates the annual cost of this is around $12,000 per annum plous the rates I am still levied by district and regional council. In fact my QE 2 bush is rated for both urban transport subsidy and the Westpac stadium.
The productive area we are left with is 315 ha.
Denny would you also explain your annual contribution to biodiversity and sustainabilty so we know there are in fact deeds and not just words aligned to your actions. A wise man told me years ago that when you point your finger at anyone there are always 3 pointing back at yourself. Try it!
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Nice one RB!!
Rg, I presume from your ranting it is cold in Riverton, and your fingers are working to keep warm while you have given up on trying to get the brain into gear.
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Fred – not so, it’s a lovely day down here and I didn’t see a single townie tipping paint into the stormwater drain today, for a change. The message from the farmers; ‘you townies are dirty’, must be getting through!
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Roger – aren’t you pointing your accusative finger at Denny?
Just askin’
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No RG I’m pointing 3 at myself…read my post!! We still have work to progress around our farm re conservation. BUT it is always good to be ressured that the people commenting are doing their share rather than just suggesting that others do theirs. So I ask some questions and will await a reply. Along side our conseravtion work (QE2 plus other stuff) we also are party to 2 QA agreements and market heavey weight chilled lamb into the US under stringent guidelines as part of the Atkins ranch group.
Deeds RG not just chatter!
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Farmer enthusiasm for conservation is commendable, and indeed widespread. The farming papers are full of great stories. Any time now we’ll see Feds backing the Greens and putting Bryce Johnson up for a knighthood. No?
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On the topic of the Federation and their ‘green’ credentials…
http://robertguyton.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/bruces-crystal-ball.html
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dear bOb (sic) you seem more shill than normal 2day (sic). A great post by HP and yet more focus on people like you described in the Herald as “the green-tinged, white collar new left” and “Greens and assorted eco-zealots”
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To fredinthegrass I can tell you for nothing that Fonterra has been telling farmers to fence their rivers for over 20 years and they are still bitching about the cost. Activists are just pointing put the uncomfortable truth.
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“internal saboteurs who use isolated examples of what are usually insignificant problems to paint a dirty picture do the country a disservice.”
Tim Groser’s cognitive dissonance is breath-taking. Its not isolated incidents, its 151 prosecutions involving more than 300 charges against 198 companies or individuals for unlawful discharges of dairy effluent affecting land or water over the last 5 years. As described by the Dominion Post.
Time for a reality check for Tim Groser.
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Roger the issue isn’t about beating up farmers – they are the life blood of our economy – it is about getting the poorer performers in the industry to your level – the economic benefits of doing that are even greater than the environmental benefits.
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