Feeding the world’s growing population
New Zealand’s reputation as a quality food producer is growing.
The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand promotes and encourages responsible and scientifically-based nutrient management.
The supply of fertiliser in New Zealand relies on international sourcing. The range of risks considered and assessed are growing in scope and depth, and human rights risk is an increasingly important part of this consideration.
The fertiliser industry in New Zealand is dominated by farmer-owned co-operatives. This means our members are particularly aware that the inputs and fertiliser they supply are at the start of a long supply chain that ultimately lands on consumers’ plates. Our members anticipate that during the next decade consumers will increasingly consider any potential human risk in the same way as they now consider environmental risk. Increasingly, assessment of human rights risks will be core to doing business. Our industry is deepening assessment of human rights risk as part of wider assessment activities.
The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) set out an approach for such assessments. Our members acknowledge they are at an early stage of adopting the UNGPs within our industry. They have started with an industry wide Human Rights Statement.
In this Statement our members focus on the following social values:
Our members are currently working on how to embed these approaches within existing business practices. This process will not necessarily bring new processes and assessments within their businesses but will extend and deepen existing practices.
Having committed to adopting the UNGPs, our members have already undertaken an assessment of one key supplier to New Zealand – the supply of phosphate rock from the OCP mine at Phosboucraa in Western Sahara.
The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand and Dairy NZ funded development of the Nutrient Management Adviser Certification Programme (NMACP). This industry-wide certification aims to ensure that advisers have the learning, experience and capability to give sound nutrient advice.
3 July 2024
An interest in farm sustainability and sustainable fertiliser management was the key driver behind Massey University student Theané de Klerk’s decision to focus her Master’s degree on New Zealand’s agricultural phosphorus budget. Theané is one of three students that the Fertiliser Association of New Zealand is currently supporting.
26 June 2024
The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand have updated our Fertiliser Use on New Zealand Sheep and Beef Farms booklet.
The booklet provides clear and concise information on key aspects of soil fertility and nutrient management for productive drystock farming.
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