Primary Industries Summit 2023

“We believe that New Zealand needs to maintain an appropriate balance between a strong economy, food security, reducing emissions from agricultural activity and protecting the health, wellbeing and vitality of our rural communities.”

Todd Charteris, CEO, Rabobank New Zealand

How we reduce carbon emissions while increasing production to ensure food security is shaping up as the challenge of our age.

In August 2022, we published our first Rabobank New Zealand white paper – Steering into the food transition – mapping out the high-level issues and terrain in this critical debate for New Zealand agriculture. The 12 months since then, including the extreme weather events in parts of the North Island, have underlined the enduring importance of food and agriculture to the New Zealand economy and the wellbeing of our society.

As New Zealand’s only specialist food and agri bank, we are pleased to publish the sequel. The great New Zealand balancing act (2023) also aims to help our customers and other leaders in the public and private sectors negotiate these existential challenges and opportunities.

We believe that New Zealand needs to maintain an appropriate balance between a strong economy, food security, reducing emissions from agricultural activity and protecting the health, wellbeing and vitality of our rural communities.

We look forward to continuing dialogue and collaboration on a myriad of activities to help drive an equitable food transition for New Zealand as we stand up for our place in the world.

We are proud of our work in supporting the resilience of rural communities, championing the role of food producers and promoting just transitions to lower emissions production.

We trust this report is a valuable contribution to these ongoing transitions.

Read the 2023 White Paper Read the 2022 White Paper