"Market Pull" vs "Environment Push"
These concepts refer to a range of incentives (other than values) driving individual and industry practices.
"Market pull" refers to the carrot of (extra) returns in the marketplace for quality products from a quality environment. Increasingly, the more prosperous markets New Zealand supplies are seeking quality products from a "healthy" environment.
In the current market led policy framework, farmers are more directly exposed to market conditions and trends than ever before. It is now well recognised (Williams, 1995; Ottman, 1995; Wilson-Salt, 1993; Simms, 1992; Garrett, 1995) that one of the major challenges for agricultural and horticultural producers in the future will be meeting consumers’ environmental demands. Consumers are concerned not only with the quality of products (safety, colour, nutritional value, chemical residue levels) but also with the way it has been produced - the effects of the production system on the environment, and on animals. These concerns relate to the food and fibre products, their production systems, as well as emerging business opportunities for farming people such as tourism ( Cullinane, 1995). In the US, 51% of consumers now look for green labels when they shop; 66% of US consumers separate recyclables at the curb. Eco-label programmes exist in some 26 countries (Ottman, 1995), many of them supported by governments. These facts show that green consumerism is no longer a fringe fad.
Hence the term "Quality Products from a Quality Environment".
There are now many New Zealand examples of initiatives which recognise the importance of green consumerism:
- 98 - a FeBEC, Heinz Wattie initiative aimed at producing New Zealand’s first eco-label in the food and beverage sector in 1998;
- strategies - Wools of New Zealand, Cervena Co Ltd, NZDB, ENZA, KMB;
- strategies - NZ Deer Farmers Quality Assurance Programme, ENZA Integrated Fruit Production Programme, and Kiwigreen kiwifruit supply programme;
- strategies - Tradenz Environmental Integrity Programme, ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems Standard.
On the other hand, "environment push" - whilst more negative in its connotation - is currently the greater influence on farmer and grower practices, and flows directly from response to resource management legislation.
Within New Zealand, implementation of the Resource Management Act (RMA) is now well under way. Most Regional Policy Statements have been finalised, many regional councils have prepared land water and air plans at least to the draft, if not notified, stage; and many district councils are now starting to seek submissions on their proposed draft district plans.
As agriculture is a major utiliser of natural resources, there are many ways policy statements and plans will affect farming. These range from subdivision, to management of wastes and effluent, water use, fertiliser practices, land development, tree planting, and spray drift to name but a few.
It is, however, important to recognise that not all agricultural impacts are bad for the environment, and where they are, that dwelling on negatives can be counter-productive to changing practices. Farmers have, in our view, a very strong land (stewardship) ethic. Few deliberately set out to destroy the basis of their business. Many, however, are currently caught in a vicious down-turn, particularly sheep and beef farms (MAF, 1996(a)) and are therefore currently placing greater emphasis on financial and social (family) sustainability than environmental issues. concerns.There is much truth in the saying that "it is hard to be green when you are in the red".
This does not relieve the responsibility to eventually address environmental issues; but it does indicate the delicate nature of the approach agencies need to adopt in order to encourage more environmentally-sensitive practices.
The trick is to win the war - not necessarily every battle. Working with people is more effective than working against them.
Contact for Enquiries
MAF Information Services
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25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND
Fax: +64 4 894 0721
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