Attn:  J Bruning

 

Thank you for your 9 May 2022 email request for information under the
Official Information Act 1982.  You requested information on the
following:

 

1. Assessing the international market for organics including market growth
and return.

2. Identifying the benefits to New Zealand agriculture through reduced
dependence on synthetic fertiliser; against the costs of altered
farm/cropping practices to improve soil fertility.

3. Benefit to soil, freshwater and sediment from transition to organic
agriculture including:
a. Benefit to drinking water
b. Potential for organic principles to reflect principles of stewardship
that would prevent degraded environments which compromise access to
traditional food resources
c. Harmonisation with the the European Farm to Fork strategy
d. Harmonisation with Sustainable Development Goals.

4. Opportunities from investment in agroecology and organic agricultural
research to:
a. Identify and expand genetics through advanced (non biotech/non-GE)
research techniques (see Bostocks submission to the Productivity
Commission); b. Accelerate knowledge transfer to New Zealand producers
from local research (particularly, supporting different region
climate/soil demands while transitioning from conventional industrial
agriculture to organic agriculture); c. Identify soil/plant management
practices that enhance drought tolerance of regional soils for a wide
variety of pasture/cropping species; d. Identify opportunities for
reduction in climate related emissions (such as use of dietary seaweed to
reduce ruminant methane emissions).

5. The principal purpose of the Commission is to provide advice to the
Government on improving productivity in a way that is directed to
supporting the overall well-being of New Zealanders, having regard to a
wide range of communities of interest and population groups in New Zealand
society.

 

Response from the New Zealand Productivity Commission:

 

None of our inquiries to date has asked us to look at organics or
agroecology. So, apart from the mention of organics by a very few
submitters through our public submission process, we don’t hold material
that fits this request. All the public submissions that mention organics
are available on our website.

 

I hope that satisfies your request. You have the right to seek an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman regarding the Commission’s
response. Information on how to make a complaint is available

at [1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602. If you wish
to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact me at the
details below.

 

Yours sincerely

Shelley Catlin

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