MAF's Role - A sustainable development agency
Promoting national prosperity and wellbeing through the sustainable use and management of New Zealand's natural resources relies on many interdependent factors (Figure 3).
Many of these factors are very dependent on one or more of the others and influence both the international and domestic environments.
MAF plays a key role in the primary sector at every stage - from the maintenance, protection and enhancement of natural resources generally, to the way these resources are converted into products for the domestic and export markets, and facilitating their access to these markets.
This broad role is captured in MAF's mission statement:
ENHANCING NEW ZEALAND'S NATURAL ADVANTAGE
MAF operates in a complex environment where there are interdependencies across the agriculture, horticulture, food and forestry industries, domestically and internationally.
Integrity of the regulatory system, both in food safety and in biosecurity, is critical for import and export markets - trade is a two-way street. The setting of standards and drafting of regulations should meet the needs of New Zealanders while also meeting international rules. This means the domestic policy environment needs to be closely linked to what is happening internationally.
Figure 4: MAF's Operating Environment
Given the small size of New Zealand's economy and the fact the country exports the vast majority of its primary products, the focus of producers and processors is necessarily on export markets. This means international competitiveness is at the forefront, demanding continuous innovation in the sectors and a cost-effective regulatory regime. Figure 4 illustrates the complexity of the environment in which MAF operates, and the challenges and interdependencies it needs to co-ordinate to successfully achieve its mission.
How does MAF support its role?
In recognising New Zealand's success is directly related to the sustainable development of natural resources, MAF's purpose is as a sustainable development agency focused on economic growth which is environmentally sustainable and meets the wider social and economic needs and aspirations of New Zealanders.
MAF's purpose is:
Leading the sustainable development of our biological resources for all New Zealanders
Sustainable development of New Zealand's natural resources involves:
- Using New Zealand's natural resources to deliver economic, environmental and social benefits to all New Zealanders now and in the future.
- Ensuring what is produced can be traded domestically and internationally while protecting the health of consumers.
- Protecting our biodiversity, productive resources, and human health and wellbeing from damage from pests and diseases.
MAF's role, within a sustainable development framework, is to inform, advise, regulate and deliver services relating to agriculture, forestry, rural affairs, biosecurity and food safety. In doing so, MAF contributes to New Zealand's economic, environmental, social and cultural wellbeing.
The inter-relationships between many of MAF's functions, such as biosecurity, food safety and international trade, means it must take an integrated and coherent approach which is internally consistent, and maintains the confidence of consumers and international regulatory authorities. In particular, there are strong links between trade policy, biosecurity and food safety because enhanced market access needs to be complemented by credible health assurances, and by trade rules which are science- and risk-based, and bound by international agreements.
The unifying strands within MAF's structure and functions are:
- Trade facilitation orientation.
- Focus on land and biologically-based products involving both food safety and biosecurity issues.
- As a Competent Authority in relation to official assurances through Biosecurity New Zealand and NZFSA.
- Focus on the sustainability of the production systems on which the agriculture, horticulture, food and forestry industries are based.
Guiding MAF's Direction
The strands of trade policy, biosecurity, food safety and sustainability of production systems are all reflected in MAF's four outcomes, which contribute to the Government's economic transformation and national identity priorities and deliver on the expectations of the primary sector and the wider community. MAF's performance as an organisation is measured against its contribution to these outcomes.
The outcomes are:
- Outcome 1: New Zealand's Economic Growth and Prosperity are Enhanced through a High-Performing and Innovative Primary Sector.
- Outcome 2: Safe and Freer Rules-Based Trade.
- Outcome 3: Healthy New Zealanders.
- Outcome 4: Management of Natural Resources to Meet the Sustainable Economic, Environmental and Cultural Values, Aspirations and Obligations of New Zealanders.
Focusing MAF's Efforts
The diversity of MAF's mandate and the range of work it undertakes are well defined by the four outcomes. Maximising contribution towards these outcomes (Figure 5) requires that MAF focus its efforts on:
- The critical contributions it can make towards its outcomes over a three to five year period − the strategic priorities
- (page 20).
- Ensuring its "business as usual" activities support the outcomes and intermediate outcomes and are delivered in an effective and efficient manner (page 25).
- Being a "capable organisation" by continuously focusing on equipping its smart people with the right tools and delivering smart solutions (page 37).
- Building and maintaining the strategic relationships, partnerships and collaborations essential for the achievement of its outcomes.
Figure 5: MAF's Outcome Framework
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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