Food and fibre sector governance needs more young people, New Zealand Young Farmers chair Jessie Waite says.
Waite recently won an Institute of Directors Emerging Director Award and has been in governance for three years.
She said a major challenge for industry boards in the primary sector is to ensure young people see a prosperous future in, and can “find a way to work in”, farming, aquaculture and other primary industries.
“For the younger farmers, the question is what does my future look like? How is it going to be practical to farm in the future?” Waite said.
Industry boards should ensure they turn their attention to long-term sustainability and a range of ongoing challenges including climate action, labour shortages and supply chain disruption.
“For young people to be able to have time around a board table and develop their skills is only going to be an advantage to the primary sector. They will bring new ways of thinking, new ideas, new perspectives and I think we are going to need more of that.”
Emissions are top of mind for many people – “everybody is talking about it and, fair due, it does need to be talked about” – but the ultimate governance challenge is to make sure the primary sector looks “profitable, sustainable and enjoyable” for the farmers of the future.
One way to support this might be to create “an associate board role” on many primary sector boards, Waite said.
A Taranaki regional partner for OSPRI in her day job, Waite was shoulder-tapped three years ago for Dairy Trust Taranaki.
“I jumped on there with absolutely zero governance experience and no idea what I was getting myself into,” said Waite, who was 27 years old at the time.
She found governance a simulating experience and set a goal to find a place on the NZ Young Farmers Board. This year, she became chair.
“A little bit of a baptism of fire, as I am still very new to governance. But I have learnt so much – especially by being surrounded by people who have a wealth of governance experience.”
