Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor – who will travel to Paris tomorrow to co-chair the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Committee on Agriculture Ministerial meeting – says this provides an excellent opportunity to highlight how New Zealand is addressing climate change at the farm-level and meeting changing consumer demand for our biggest export sectors.

He will co-chair the meeting with Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau.

The Committee on Agriculture meeting oversees the OECD’s work on agriculture and food policy and will be held on 3-4 November.

“We’re meeting at a critical time. The effect on global food supply chains of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine has brought food security into stark focus. Our food production is also increasingly being disrupted by climate change. These underline the need for OECD partners and others to continue working together to ensure the world has ongoing access to nutritious food,” Damien O’Connor said.

“This is a valuable forum to discuss these matters and more. We must commit to tangible actions that will help ensure sustainable production and food security for generations to come. The meeting will also set the parameters for OECD’s research and analysis over the next six years.”

Damien O’Connor said the meeting is an important forum to demonstrate New Zealand’s global leadership in sustainable agriculture.

“The Committee on Agriculture will enable New Zealand to shine a light on our continuing investment in the development of high-impact technologies and practices to reduce emissions and promote sustainable agriculture,” he said.

“This includes establishing the new Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions to shift the dial on climate-friendly farm practices. There will be great interest in our world-leading work to incentivise farmers to reduce their methane and nitrous oxide emissions from 2025.

“This is the first time the Committee on Agriculture has convened since 2016, and we cannot overstate the value of working together in person.  

“Together, we can identify opportunities and challenges facing food production, and put solutions on the table to tackle these together.

“This includes establishing the right settings for our people, environment and agricultural sectors to thrive. This aligns with approach that New Zealand’s already taking.” 

Mr O’Connor will be travelling from 1 November to 6 November.