The latest volume of the KPMG agribusiness agenda, released today, focused on balancing the needs of the environment, communities and businesses, with a clear message that the industry could no longer tolerate ''weak links''.
While utilising natural resources was at the core of the sector's ability to contribute to New Zealand's prosperity, that consumption represented the most significant potential threat to its future, KPMG's head of agribusiness, Ian Proudfoot, said.
Growing regulatory uncertainty, urban perceptions of the use of natural resources and some own goals from industry participants were placing increasing pressure on the sector.
However, the increasing regulatory and compliance burden did not necessarily advance New Zealand towards a truly sustainable primary sector, he said.
The sector needed to take the lead in engaging with the wider community, understand its requirements and reach an integrated, consensus vision.
Although the sector was a significant contributor to New Zealand's wealth, it could not expect special treatment from the wider population.
During discussions, some industry leaders suggested it often appeared to be ''self-interestedly whinging'' while lacking recognition of the ''bigger picture'', he said.
That bigger picture was that the urban population would be a significant constraint on the sector if it was not properly engaged with and informed.
Debate on primary sector issues was often led by interest groups with a perspective on sustainability that focused narrowly on environmental issues, Mr Proudfoot said.
To counter those arguments, the sector had some compelling stories to tell about the contribution it made to the ''many dimensions of life'' that were important to New Zealand.
It required everybody in the primary sector to ''do the right things''.
''If the industry is to retain the confidence of the wider community, we can no longer tolerate the weak links in our systems. The only licence to farm in the future will be a licence to farm sustainably,'' he said.
A recurring subject of discussion was the speed with which land use in New Zealand had changed over the past 10-20 years, the report said.
While the exponential growth of the dairy sector had created value for the economy, many leaders were uneasy about the lack of a clear policy framework around the use of land, and there was uncertainty surrounding the long-term impact on the environment and rural communities.
The sector could not afford to ignore the perspective of the wider population on water quality and must be active in achieving measurable improvements.
Concerns were also expressed science was being underutilised throughout the sector, not only for achieving transformational outcomes but also in addressing day-to-day challenges.
ASB has developed a professional development agricultural course in conjunction with Agri One, a joint venture between Massey and Lincoln universities.
The course, entitled Taking the Lead - A Framework for Environmentally Sustainable Agricultural Production in New Zealand - is designed to increase farmers' ability to balance productivity with sustainability and provide farmers and rural professionals with information to allow them to more fully participate in the debate on sustainability in the primary sector.
