- Growth and Innovation
- Sustainability and Environmental Integrity
- Consumer Confidence
- Outcome Framework
The Ministry's Contribution to Government's Goals
MAF's main contribution will be towards achieving the following three Key Government Goals:
- Growing an inclusive, innovative economy for the benefit of all.
- Protecting and enhancing the environment.
- Maintaining trust in Government and providing strong social services.
Growth and Innovation
Our agriculture, horticulture, forestry and food sectors are key drivers of the performance of the New Zealand economy. There is enormous potential for them to innovate and grow on the back of leading-edge science, top management, efficient processing and superior marketing.
The private sector drives our primary sectors but cannot act alone on matters of market access and trade liberalisation or establishing and maintaining a macroeconomic and regulatory environment that supports international competitiveness. MAF is intimately engaged in both of those roles and is therefore in a position to influence directly the growth and innovation performance of the sectors. But we do not seek economic growth for its own sake. Nor do we seek it at any cost.
Prosperous primary production sectors support strong rural communities, strong Maori economic and cultural development, skills development, enhanced research capability, improved consumer choice and better environmental outcomes.
For Maori, MAF has a key role to play, both in facilitating development of Maori farming and forestry operations, and in protection of indigenous and productive biodiversity through our biosecurity and resource management work. We have Treaty obligations to understand and to incorporate fully into our day-to-day work and decision-making.
Sustainability and Environmental Integrity
New Zealand s primary production sectors are all based on the biological processes involving the interaction of land, water, climate, plants and animals. The ongoing viability of our primary sectors is dependent on nurturing the physical resources upon which they are based. This points to the need to ensure that our farming, growing and processing practices are sustainable environmentally, , socially and culturally. MAF's work in biosecurity supports this directly, as does work in the areas such as animal welfare, rural affairs and water allocation and quality.
Discerning consumers are increasingly concerned, in making their purchasing choices, about the environmental, sustainability and animal welfare implications of the products they buy. MAF recognises that economic growth goes hand in hand with high quality environmental and sustainability outcomes.
Consumer Confidence
Pursuing prosperity and growth is a long-term goal. To be successful over the longer term, industries must address the expectations of consumers and communities. This means meeting increasing concerns about environmental integrity, food safety, animal welfare and social equity. New Zealand communities expect to be able to live safely alongside their farming and forestry neighbours. Consumers here and abroad need to be assured that the products they buy and the foods they eat are produced in a way that is not destructive to their health, to the welfare of animals, and the ongoing viability of our ecosystems.
NZFSA has been established as a semi-autonomous body attached to MAF. The rationale for this decision is important for two reasons: For food producers to prosper, consumers and foreign regulators must have confidence in the rigour and independence of our food regulatory regime. Placing NZFSA in a semi- autonomous mode enables it to direct its energies to building that consumer and foreign regulator confidence.
There is a vital need for consistency in the way our regulators treat exports and imports and an essential overlap between our food and biosecurity regimes. Primarily the WTO SPS framework describes these relationships.
While maintaining a focus on the protection of public confidence in our food and regulatory environment, NZFSA must continue to ensure that its programmes integrate seamlessly with those of MAF Biosecurity and MAF Policy. Information must flow readily in each direction. The people in each part of the organisation must have a deep understanding of the work of those in the other parts.
Public confidence, beyond our traditional agriculture, horticulture and forestry stakeholders is also a feature of our work. MAF's biosecurity work is facing a widening of scope. From its roots in managing pest and disease risk to animals and production forests, biosecurity is now responding to a wide range of environmental/ conservation and human health risks. The forthcoming Biosecurity strategy review will provide more guidance on how that challenge should be met.
Outcome Framework
All areas of the Ministry's work are directed towards the Overarching Outcome:
New Zealanders celebrate dynamic, scientifically sophisticated and prosperous agricultural, horticultural, forestry and food sectors that lead growth and innovation in the economy and underpin our ability to achieve the economy, environment and society to which all New Zealanders aspire.
Underpinning the Overarching Outcome and providing more explicit drivers for the Ministry's diverse range of activities are three outcomes and their supporting intermediate outcomes and objectives. Those objectives that contribute to a significant change of state ( sectors and community) are identified as flagship objectives , as opposed to other objectives that either maintain the status quo or provide incremental improvements.
ADVANCING THE AGRICulTURE, HORTICulTURE, FORESTRY AND FOOD SECTORS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL NEW ZEALANDERS
Overarching Outcome |
Prosperous agricultural, horticultural, forestry and food sectors leading growth and innovation for the benefit of all New Zealanders | ||
| General impact on the community | |||
|
Outcomes |
Sector Development |
Safe and Freer Rules- Based Trade |
Protection and Enhancement of Natural Resources |
| Intermediate Outcomes Outcomes directly influenced by MAF’s work.
|
Policies that manage risk, minimise costs and
empower innovation.
Institutions and relationships that facilitate high performance and innovation. Sectors, businesses and communities actively contributing to a growing and innovative economy. |
Enhanced market access for our products and
reduced distortions in trade rules.
Credible and trusted animal and plant product assurance. Protection of New Zealand ’s primary production systems and trade through effective pre-border and border management, surveillance and incursion response programmes. |
Best practice implemented for:
Protection of taonga and society ’s environmental and cultural values.
|
| Flagship Objectives Key operational focus
|
Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of
the regulatory interventions MAF administers.
Continuing the evolution of sector institutions in accordance with sector interests and consistent with the overall public benefit. Maximising the engagement of the sectors, rural communities and Maori with a growing and innovative economy |
Maximising the gains from the Doha
Development Round.
Ensuring a science- and risk- based approach to international "health" related trade rules with a focus on outcomes rather than process. Ensuring that New Zealand ’s agricultural, horticultural, forestry and food exports are not restricted by unjustified trade barriers. Implementing New Zealand ’s strategy for product assurance that is designed to protect and promote public health and facilitate access to markets for agricultural, horticultural and seafood products. Implementing the Biosecurity Strategy. |
Facilitating sustainable economic growth by
developing a policy framework for water allocation that takes account of
environmental, social and cultural values.
Lifting the image of New Zealand as a supplier of quality products through adoption of quality processes to command brand loyalty and premium prices through promotion and facilitation. Protecting New Zealand ’s valued indigenous biodiversity and ensuring that stakeholders, iwi, communities and individuals are valued and informed partners in managing animal welfare and biosecurity risks and impacts
|
| Collaboration Partners MAF will need to work collaboratively with -
|
Ministry of Economic Development. Ministry for the Environment. Ministry of Fisheries |
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Ministry of Health. Ministry of Research, Science and Technology. |
Department of Conservation. New Zealand Customs Service. Te Puni Kokiri
|
| Capability To deliver our unique contribution. |
People We employ people who want to make a positive contribution to MAF’s outcomes and who have the skills, experience and attitudes necessary to make that contribution. |
Leadership and Management MAF people are positioned to succeed and are committed to delivering innovative and value- adding solutions to complex government and sector issues |
Systems and Processes MAF people are supported by robust processes, follow best practice and continually strive for improved effectiveness and efficiency. |
Culture MAF people work together and with others – there is a strong emphasis on information sharing across the organisation, openness of dialogue and shared ownership of and responsibility for performance of the whole organisation. |
Contact for Enquiries
Strategy and Performance Group
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: +64 4 894 0100
Fax: +64 4 894 0738
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