Scope of MAF's Activity
MAF is a sustainable development agency, whose activities cover the economy, environment, and people - and the interactions between them. Our role is to deliver policy advice, regulation and service delivery to achieve:
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sustainable economic development of New Zealand's agriculture, food and forestry sectors;
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biosecurity; and
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food safety, through the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA).
A key MAF function is fit-for-purpose and process-efficient regulation which sets rules governing business behaviour, while as far as possible minimising compliance costs and fostering innovation. Secondly, MAF has policy advisory functions, and is the government's primary source of policy advice on the agriculture, food, forestry and related industries, animal welfare, rural affairs, biosecurity and food safety. MAF also has a major service delivery role, including the Sustainable Farming Fund, adverse event responses, management of Crown-owned production forestry assets (through Crown Forestry), the East Coast Forestry Project, and the delivery of border services by MAF's quarantine function.
MAF is comprised of four groups: MAF Biosecurity New Zealand, MAF Policy, Crown Forestry, and NZFSA, which is a semi-autonomous body attached to MAF (see page 27-31), all supported by MAF Corporate. MAF and its different groups face a number of emerging challenges from within our operating environment. MAF must meet these challenges in a context of increased Government expectations that agencies will work seamlessly across departmental boundaries to effect results in areas that do not fit neatly into departmental categories, and increasing public interest and expectations about how the environment is managed and protected.
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand is the lead agency in New Zealand's biosecurity system. Biosecurity is the protection of New Zealand's economy, environment and people's health from pests and diseases. It includes preventing new pests and diseases arriving, and eradicating or controlling those already present.
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand is tasked with a “whole of system” leadership role, encompassing economic, environmental, social and cultural outcomes. It also has international trade responsibilities. MAF Biosecurity New Zealand's vision is to be the recognised and trusted leader of a fully integrated and adaptive biosecurity system which best protects New Zealand's natural advantage and encourages all New Zealanders to reduce biosecurity risks. It achieves this by making and implementing timely and informed biosecurity risk management decisions, through effective management of biosecurity interventions at the border, and the provision of technical inspection and clearance services. Risk identification, assessment and management/mitigation are integral parts of this work.
New Zealand's biosecurity system is under increased pressure because of growth and diversification in international trade and travel. Combined with rising public and trade partner expectations, this has driven the current level of protection provided. New Zealand's first Biosecurity Strategy was developed in 2003 in response to these rising volumes of goods and people crossing the border, and applies to primary production, public health, and indigenous terrestrial, marine, and freshwater environments. The increasing volumes across the border (see Appendix, page 71) pose questions about how best to mitigate risk, while post border, incursions such as Didymo and the Varroa mite pose challenges around internal border management, and the need for active public support and involvement.
A key focus this year has been on the smooth integration of MAF Quarantine Service with Biosecurity New Zealand into a single administrative structure - MAF Biosecurity New Zealand. This is intended to bring a closer link between the policy development and standard setting processes, and the service delivery functions. Other challenges include managing increasing numbers of visitors and trade, as well as increased demands on government by industry and the public to take biosecurity actions, while achieving effective interventions, and addressing changing environmental influences and pest profiles.
The Animal Welfare group within MAF aims to support the expectations of New Zealand society for the welfare and humane treatment of animals, including those used in research, testing, and teaching. It also aims to support the development of animal welfare standards within New Zealand agriculture which will contribute to market success and optimum product positioning of New Zealand animals and animal products. Both within New Zealand and internationally, media, public, political and scientific interest in animal welfare and ethics has increased significantly in recent years. Key external challenges facing the Animal Welfare group are to manage increasing societal demands on government in relation to animal welfare, to effectively manage the development of the codes of welfare, to engage proactively with external stakeholders and to gain appropriate and sufficient stakeholder participation in animal welfare compliance.
MAF Policy provides policy advice and service delivery to promote prosperous, sustainable and innovative agriculture, food and forestry and related sectors that support a vibrant and healthy New Zealand society, environment and economy. Its work covers the full value chain from resource base to markets, and sustainable development is an overarching theme. It includes a strong focus on market access, including at a multilateral level and through Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
MAF is a key partner in cross-governmental strategies and functions, including water management and allocation, climate change, and active industry development policies such as those around the Government's Economic Transformation priority. Key challenges for MAF Policy include establishing what “sustainable development” means for policy development within MAF for New Zealand's agriculture, food and forestry sectors, progressing a way forward for New Zealand on climate change issues, and determining what drives productivity, resource allocation, and economic growth in New Zealand agriculture, food and forestry sectors.
Crown Forestry's overall purpose is to manage the Crown's interest in a number of commercial forests and forestry-related leases. Crown Forestry continues to effectively manage the uncertainties resulting from the ongoing Treaty of Waitangi claim process, Māori ownership issues, and Government policy changes, at the same time as managing market volatility.
NZFSA is a semi-autonomous body attached to MAF and is responsible for protecting and promoting public health and safety and facilitating access to markets for New Zealand food and related products. See the NZFSA section on pages 27-31 for a detailed description.
An Integrated Focus
In performing our role, MAF promotes the economic prosperity, health and wellbeing, and environmental sustainability that contribute to the quality of life that New Zealanders enjoy. There are strong synergies between trade policy, biosecurity and food safety because negotiated market access needs to be complemented by credible biosecurity and food safety assurance, and by trade rules which are science- and risk-based and binding in international agreements/frameworks.
The common themes across MAF's structure and functions are:
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a trade orientation;
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a focus on land-based and biologically-based products involving both safety and biosecurity issues;
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a role MAF Biosecurity New Zealand and NZFSA play as “competent authorities” in relation to official assurances; and
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a focus on the sustainability of the production systems on which the agriculture, food and forestry industries are based.
MAF must balance our trade facilitation and biosecurity roles and take an increasingly integrated approach to the use of land, water and biological resources, through harmonising the economic and environmental elements of the agricultural, food and forestry industries.
Key strategic issues facing MAF over the coming years include sustainable development; climate change; maintaining and enhancing trade access for the primary sectors; meeting biosecurity challenges; introducing a risk-based regulatory regime to promote the safety and suitability of imported and domestic foods; and consolidating and building on the organisation's capability developments.
MAF'S MISSION IS:
Enhancing New Zealand's Natural Advantage.
THROUGH OUR PURPOSE:
Leading the protection and sustainable development of our biological resources for all New Zealanders.
The three outcomes we are working to achieve are:
- Economy: sustainable economic growth and prosperity for New Zealanders
- People: healthy New Zealanders and a vibrant rural community
- Environment: maintained and enhanced economic, social and cultural benefits for New Zealanders from the natural environment
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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