Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor is attending the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate Summit in the United States.
Organised by the United States and United Arab Emirates, the summit– expected to be this year’s milestone event for agriculture and climate change – is a joint initiative to unite member countries to increase investment and support for climate-smart agriculture and food production by 2025.
O’Connor leads New Zealand’s delegation at the event, which runs from May 8-10 in Washington DC.
“As we adjust to changing consumer trends and a changing climate, we must continue to support New Zealand farmers and growers to keep up their work reducing on-farm emissions, growing exports, and retaining the sector’s competitive edge in international markets,” O’Connor said.
Primary sector export revenue hit a record $53.1 billion in the year ending June 2022 and it is key that NZ continues this momentum, he said. Since 2017 the government has secured or upgraded seven free trade agreements, which bring huge market opportunities for the country’s farmers and growers.
O’Connor said the summit is an opportunity for NZ to share and collaborate with international counterparts on the work it is already doing and on the work that lies ahead.
