Sadly,
a lot of what this article says about New Zealand's image is true.
There has been a lot of 'manure' spoken about this in the country in
recent days, most of it coming from the country's PM.
The
degradation of the country's environment seems to be going
exponential
It
is inexcusable in a country of only 4 million inhabitants to compare
ourselves with the rest of the world and say we're doing 'relatively'
well.
New
Zealand's green claims are pure manure: Country's food scares and
poor environmental record at odds with '100% Pure' slogan
6
August, 2013
- Despite marketing claims, New Zealand has a poor environmental record
- Food scares and poor water quality cast doubt on '100 per cent' pure slogan
- Revelations may hit nation's food export industry
For
a country that markets itself to the world with the slogan '100%
Pure', New Zealand's environmental credentials are not as impeccable
as many would think.
The
majority of its rivers are too polluted to swim in. Its record on
preservation of natural environments is among the worst in the world
on a per capita basis.
And
it is the only OECD country that does not produce a regular national
report on its environment.
The
discovery by dairy giant Fonterra of a bacteria that can cause
potentially fatal food poisoning in ingredients sold to eight
countries exposes New Zealand's vulnerability to food safety scares
and the fragility of the clean, green image underpinning its farming-
and tourism-based economy.
Agricultural
exports, including dairy, meat, fruit and wine, command high premiums
internationally thanks to New Zealand's reputation as a producer of
safe, natural and high-quality food.
'It
was only a matter of time before our dirty little secret came out,'
said Jill Brinsdon, brand strategist at Radiation, a brand agency in
Auckland.
'Fonterra
is our largest exporter and they're completely intertwined with New
Zealand's image and also they're the absolute biggest benefactor of
the "100% Pure" brand.
'When
you're coming out with something that presents itself as fact, or 100
per cent pure, then you have to be 100 per cent pure and we've proven
that we're not.'
New
Zealand's primary sector, which includes fishing and forestry,
accounts for some 60 per cent of exports and 18 per cent of the
country's $160billion GDP, among the highest proportions in the
developed world. Tourism makes up another 10 percent or so of GDP.
The
country has long marketed itself internationally with the '100% Pure'
slogan in print and TV ads, drawing millions of visitors each year to
experience its national parks, beaches and lakes.
Pollution:
Early morning light shines through the smog in Christchurch, New
Zealand
Contaminated:
A notice warning of industrial liquid pollution in the Waimakariri
river, Christchurch in New Zealand
With
barely 4.5 million people spread over a mountainous area larger than
the United Kingdom or California and more than a quarter of that set
aside for reserves and national parks - the backdrop for the popular
Lord of the Rings movie trilogy - New Zealand has no shortage of
unspoilt natural attractions.
But
the marketing overlooks a dark side to the country's environmental
credentials.
More
than 60 per cent of New Zealand rivers monitored by the Environment
Ministry had 'poor' or 'very poor' water quality and were rated as
unsafe for swimming due to pollution.
Dairy
farming, which has a lot riding on New Zealand's strong environmental
reputation, has been a significant cause of poor river quality due to
fertiliser and effluent runoff.
Unlike
many other countries, New Zealand cows are kept on grassy pastures
year-round, a major selling point for its $9billion annual global
dairy trade.
The
country has long marketed itself internationally with the '100% Pure'
slogan in print and TV ads, drawing millions of visitors each year to
experience its national parks, beaches and lakes
Facade:
New Zealand trades off its natural beauty, but many rivers are too
polluted to swim in
Fonterra
Kauri plant in Whangarei. A botulism scare at Fonterra was the
company's second contamination issue this year after it earlier found
traces of dicyandiamde, a potentially toxic chemical, in some
products
'Because
we've had a lack of regulation on farm waste for 20 years it's been a
free for all, so farmers have done what they can to produce more milk
- which is to put more cows on pastures,' said Mike Joy, an ecology
and environmental sustainability scientist at Massey University.
Prime
Minister John Key, who has been previously criticised for saying the
100% Pure marketing should be taken with a pinch of salt, said New
Zealand would always be reliant on dairying, with its natural
competitive advantage and global demand rising.
'The
right answer is not for New Zealand to sell less dairy. The right
answer is for New Zealand to be absolutely sure that the safety
standards are met,' he said on Tuesday.
More
than 60 per cent of New Zealand rivers monitored by the Environment
Ministry had 'poor' or 'very poor' water quality
While
separate from its environmental credentials, New Zealand's food
safety record is also not without stain.
Until
the late 2000s, New Zealand had the highest rate in the developed
world of food-borne campylobacteriosis, a serious and sometimes
deadly disease caused by a bacteria often found in uncooked chicken.
By
2011, even after a major government initiative to control the
epidemic, New Zealand still reported incidents of the disease at more
than double the rate of nearby Australia and 12 times the rate of the
United States, according to the University of Otago.
The
botulism scare at Fonterra was the company's second contamination
issue this year after it earlier found traces of dicyandiamde, a
potentially toxic chemical, in some products.
Even
so, New Zealand has one of the most stringent food safety regimes in
the world and the recent dairy product scares only turned up with the
sophisticated and sensitive testing available.
Fonterra
expects the current contamination issue to be resolved within days.
A
protracted, major animal health incident, rather than a localised
contamination issue, could wreak havoc on the New Zealand economy.
A
decade ago, at the height of a foot and mouth epidemic in Europe, the
Reserve Bank of New Zealand modelled the impact of a limited outbreak
of the livestock disease - estimating an immediate 20 per cent hit to
the currency, as well as a 12 per cent fall in exports and an eight
per cent hit to GDP in two years.
'We've
got to wake up and look more closely at our green credentials, and
work harder to create a pristine environment so consumers can get a
product which matches the story,' said a consultant to New Zealand
companies operating in Asia.
'We
can't be complacent.'
(complacency is the country's disease --- SMR)
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