Existing Programmes
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Sustainable Management Systems
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Quality Assurance and Integrated Management Programmes | | | |
New Zealand Forest Certification.
Forest certification is verification that wood is harvested under conditions acceptable to a credible third pary certification system. Its principal purpose is to ensure that harvest can be sustained by natural or human-induced regeneration, but it also concerns itself with the effect that forestry operations may have on local ecological, cultural and social structures. Forest companies whose operations are "certified" as meeting the criteria can use the certifying agency's brand on their timber when it goes to market.
Agency: NZ Forest Industries Council
Available Online: Website
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AFFCO Select.
The meat company, Affco, established a programme in 1998 to ensure consistency and quality standards of all stock being processed in Affco plants. The programme was reviewed in 1999 and additional requirements were added. The programme is used in conjunction with the Livestock Presentation Policy to provide customers with an assurance as to quality, food safety and traceability.
The AFFCO Farm Select - Lamb and Beef Accreditation Programme establishes standards which are audited on farm to ensure that on farm practices and procedures satisfy the customer requirements for food safety and quality standards. The programme requires compliance with the relevant standards, legislation and guidelines including the NZ Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC) Code of Recommendations and Minimum Standards for Animal Welfare, the Animal Welfare Act (1999) and Meat (Residues) Regulations.
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AVO Green.
AvoGreen seeks to ensure responsible and auditable avocado production systems that assure safe fruit for customers. The programme has been developed over a period of 5 years and tested with growers during its development. The programme and registered trademark are owned by the Avocado Growers Association (AGA) while the Avocado Industry Council (AIC) manage the implementation of the programme.
AvoGreen is a pest monitoring programme based on IPM principles. It includes a monitoring system and manual, an industry database of results, supporting research, website and field management to support implementation of the programme.
The programme is based on having accredited operators, pest monitors and auditors undertake all aspects of the programme. An orchard owner can become an accredited operator so that they can monitor their own orchard.
To comply with AvoGreen a crop needs to meet a set of requirements:
- Only agrichemicals approved by AIC shall be applied to the crop, recorded in a spray diary which is submitted for audit;
- All person spraying agrichemicals on avocado crops are to be GROWSAFE® certified;
- All fruit shall be packed by an AIC registered operator; and
- Pest monitoring shall be carried out by an AIC accredited pest monitor.
Pest monitoring frameworks and orchard mapping are critical components of the programme to ensure that pest monitoring is carried out in a consistent fashion. Auditing is carried out by either AgriQuality or Zespri's audit team, who operate under the same requirements.
Available Online: Website
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BULB INDUSTRY - CODE OF PRACTICE
Many New Zealand primary production sectors have taken steps to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practices for the benefit of their industries and the nation as a whole. This Code of Practice takes a similar approach in describing good management practice for bulb production.
Although the Code has been written as a guide for bulb growers, we hope it will also show other sectors how much attention growers are paying to concerns about the industry. Some bulb production activities such as soil cultivation and use of chemicals can indeed have negative environmental effects but adopting good management can minimise the risks while achieving excellent production.
It is important for growers to take the lead in adopting best management practices and pre-empt opposition from people outside the industry who are concerned about potential negative effects. Demonstrating wise management, in accordance with this Code, is a way to reduce pressure on existing growers and encourage new growers to enter the industry. The Code can also be used to show staff the care needed when working in bulb production.
Agency: Crops For Southland
Available Online: Website
Contact: Southern New Zealand Bulb Industry Strategy Group, Invercargill, New Zealand
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DeerQA
The New Zealand Deer Industry quality assurance programmes (DeerQA) were established from 1991 following widespread industry debate on the future direction of the industry. Quality assurance was identified as being a critical factor for future market access into premium value markets. At the time of its development venison processing plants did not have quality assurance programmes, other than MAF's regulated requirements. The development of the deer industry quality assurance programmes was supported with seed funding from the New Zealand Game Industry Board (now Deer Industry New Zealand), as it was perceived as being an industry-good initiative. The initial focus of the programmes has primarily been on food safety and animal welfare.
The DeerQA programmes consist of 4 components reflecting the industry's intent to have quality assurance programmes covering the industry's value chains from "pasture to plate" for venison and "pasture to patient"for velvet. The overall programme is described as DeerQA. The programme follows the core principles of quality assurance - reliability, independence, customer driven and committed to continuous improvement.
The four components are:
- Transport
- On-farm programme
- Venison processing, inc Cervena® Marketing Programme
- Livestock Agents QA Programme
Available Online: Website
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FarmPride
FarmPride is a QA programme developed by Landcorp Farming Ltd for use on all Landcorp properties to ensure quality assurance across all the organisation's farming properties and to maintain the future success of the business. Development of the programme began in the mid-90s and by 2000 FarmPride had been developed and implemented across all Landcorp's farm properties and two formal on-farm audits had been completed.
FarmPride is based on Landcorp's charter and includes all staff in the structure and implementation of the policy. It has a philosophy of continuous improvement and review. It is seen as a way to address the 98 Acts and Regulations which can affect the operation of the Landcorp farms. A fundamental element is the relationship with processors and maintaining relationships for the positive benefits to both businesses.
FarmPride is independently audited bi-annually and an Action Plan set for matters to be addressed. Central to adoption of the programme was education about the programme and the culture that it encompassed - that is the approach to the business. There were messages about tidiness and how it reflected and linked to the operation, such as farm safety and animal welfare.
Agency: Landcorp Farming Ltd
Contact: National Manager - Projects,
Landcorp Farming Ltd,
Wellington.
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FernMark Quality Programme.
The FernMark Quality Programme for woolgrowers was developed by WoolPro and launched in 1996. A similar programme, Woolcare, introduced by Wrightson, is now incorporated into FernMark. The philosophy was a producer driven QA programme that attempted to address the fragmented supply chain, which limited the ability to put pressure on the market.
Reform within the industry has meant that the impetus behind FernMark has reached a plateau at the present. Responsibility for the programme has transferred to Meat and Wool Innovation.
Uptake was greatest within the Merino sector with 80% of merino growers accredited compared to 40% of mid-micron and 13% of crossbred growers.
FernMark covers shearers, farmers and scourers - the supply chain within the industry.
The grower manual outlines the process to become a FernMark Quality Accredited Wool Grower. A key part of this is the Farm Quality Plan which includes consideration of the following:
- Facilities
- Preventing contamination
- Animal welfare
- Dip residues
- Sheep preparation
- Standards and records
- Staff requirements
- Woolshed procedures - pressing identification and transport.
There are requirements for each aspect and recommended ways to achieve these, with the focus on producing a quality product.
The Growers Manual includes checklists and record sheets. Following completion of the Farm Quality Plan an assessment is undertaken both pre-shearing and at
Agency: Meat and Wool Innovation offices.
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Kiwi Green.
The KiwiGreen programme was initially established in 1991 to satisfy Italian demands for residue free kiwifruit. Based on the results of this initial project and the expectation of continued market demands for residue free fruit, the New Zealand Kiwifruit Marketing Board decided that all its export fruit would be grown under the KiwiGreen programme. The programme has been revised over time as a result of experience and research. However an initiative in the late 1990s to extend the scope of the programme to a full EMS was not supported by the industry.
In 2001 Zespri, under its Customer Gateway Programme, has introduced initiatives to satisfy market demands. These include the introduction of improved product track and trace systems as well as systems to satisfy the requirements of the EUREP-GAP programme. It is anticipated that compliance with the EUREP-GAP programme will be simplified because of the existing KiwiGreen programme and other components of the Zespri supply management system as well as regional and local body plans established to fulfil the requirements of the Resource Management Act.
The KiwiGreen programme uses an IPM approach to pest and disease control, with aim of having nil or minimal residues on fruit at harvest, or the meeting of quarantine requirements of importing countries.
All export growers are required to comply with the conditions of the programme. A key component of the programme is the seasonal monitoring of pest/predator levels which is carried out by the grower or pest scouts. The spray diary details the timing, type and volume of chemical used on the crop. A crop cannot be packed until a completed spray diary has been submitted.
Available Online: Website
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NZ Fresh Produce Supplier Programme.
The NZ Fresh Produce Approved Supplier Programme commenced in the mid 1990's, initially developed by the Fresh Vegetable Sector within Vegfed. It was launched in early 1999 and has been extended to now include all fresh produce, with fruitgrowers becoming part of the programme in 2000. It was a proactive initiative by industry to ensure that safety standards were met in the production of fresh produce. The programme is HACCP based and incorporates the principles of ISO and applies to the whole supply chain of fresh produce including transport and packaging.
The aim of the programme is a food safety programme developed in response to consumer awareness, both domestically and internationally, and seeks to ensure that there is only one auditor through the gate so the grower does not have to comply with a multiple range of programmes and requirements. An underpinning principle is that the programme can be applied regardless of the size or complexity of an operation - from small through to extensive operations. It is focussed on an approach to business that allows suppliers to develop and respond to requirements in a way that suits and reflects individual businesses. The focus is on a 'business to business' basis rather than a 'business to consumers' basis. While the consumer is the benefactor, the programme was not intended to have a high public profile or to override promotion and branding being undertaken at business levels.
The objective of the programme is to become an 'Approved Supplier' so the Approved Supplier trademark can be attached to produce. All supermarkets in NZ now require Approved Supplier status from suppliers.
The focus is on the areas of production where hazards to food safety may occur, such as in agrichemical application, fertiliser application, packaging and handling.
Available Online: Website
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Olive Care.
The Olive Care programme was developed by the Queensland Dept of Primary Industry (DPI) in conjunction with a panel of processors and producers. It is being used in New Zealand by the NZ Olive Association (NZOA) under licence as the grass roots component of their Quality Assurance System.
The NZOA Quality Assurance System has four components:
- Olive Care for growers - Approved Supplier Programme to processors
- Programme for HACCP Accreditation for Processors
- Chemical Testing of Olive Oil
- Sensory (Organoleptic)Tasting of Olive Oil by an Accredited Panel
The latter two components are subject to accreditation by the International Olive Oil Council and are required to identify oils that qualify for Extra Virgin status. A quality seal may be placed on bottled oil that has qualified through all four stages.
The focus of Olive Care is ensuring a safe quality food source for processing.
Olive Care for growers incorporates HACCP principles. The one-day course provides a framework for a grower to develop and maintain an approved supplier programme for their own grove. The course workbook includes practical ways to identify and control hazards using good horticultural practice, a checklist process for internal review within the grove and provides examples of documentation needed for product traceability, including chemical storage, grove application, harvest and transportation records.
Growers are certified after a successful audit undertaken by a HACCP trained processor, who will audit growers annually prior to harvest. The Processor is required to attend a 3 day HACCP course and be able to develop a HACCP Plan for the processing operation (this plan is externally audited and certified).
While Olive Care is voluntary it is expected that processors will increasingly restrict olive acceptance to only growers who are accredited under the programme.
Available Online: Website
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Pipfruit - Integrated Fruit Production.
Pipfruit Growers New Zealand (PGNZI) now manage the IFP programme that was part of the former ENZAWAY programme. The changes within the pipfruit industry over the last few years have resulted in changes in the way that a number of programmes are managed. The IFP programme is industry good so is now managed by PGNZI. ENZA are requiring growers to be EUREP-GAP accredited to be able to sell product in Europe. The IFP programme contributes to a grower reaching EUREP-GAP standards. The focus of the IFP programme is on food safety, but EUREP-GAP also encompasses environmental and social responsibilities.
The Pipfruit IFP programme focuses on minimising agrichemical use within the orchard with spray diaries being required for export fruit. Previously growers were audited but new audit requirements are currently being established. Auditing is carried out by external agencies approved by PGNZI. Registration is orchard, not grower, based, with some growers having a number of orchards.
Available Online: Website
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SummerGreen.
SummerGreen is an IPM programme developed by SummerFruit NZ for use in summer fruit orchards - covering peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and cherries. The programme was developed in consultation with the growers and is now managed by a Programme Manager, with a facilitator who oversees the programme in each growing area.
The programme is based on pest monitoring and identification and seeks to apply the principles of IPM by limiting applications of agrichemicals. There are clear industry guidelines that growers must adhere to, in order to meet industry export standards. Spray diaries are to be kept and are required to be supplied to packhouses and to be audited. Residue testing is also undertaken. All growers using agrichemicals are required to be GROWSAFE® certified.
An integral part of the programme is the ongoing information transfer to growers, with each region establishing priorities for training and information and research identification.
The programme is likely to be extended to cover additional issues such as use of fertilisers, leaching to groundwater, and soil quality, through the development of guideline tools for growers.
Many SummerFruit growers are Approved Suppliers under the Fresh Produce QA programme. The requirements of both programmes are complementary.
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