Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor will travel to Paris tomorrow to co-chair the ministerial meeting of the Agriculture Committee of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

“The OECD Agriculture Committee Ministerial meeting is an excellent opportunity for New Zealand to highlight how we are tackling climate change at the farm level and responding to changing consumer demand for our key export sectors,” said Damien O’Connor.

“It is an absolute privilege to co-chair this important meeting with my Canadian counterpart, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Marie-Claude Bibeau.

The Agriculture Committee meeting oversees the OECD’s work on agricultural and food policy and will take place on 3-4 November.

“We meet at a critical time. The effect on global food supply chains of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine has put a spotlight on food security. Our food production is also increasingly disrupted by climate change. This underscores the need for partners in the OECD and others to continue to work together to ensure the world has continued access to nutritious food,” said Damien O’Connor.

“This is a valuable forum to discuss these issues and more. We must commit to concrete actions that will help ensure sustainable production and food security for generations to come. The meeting will also set the parameters for OECD research and analysis over the next six years.

Damien O’Connor said the meeting is an important forum to demonstrate New Zealand’s global leadership in sustainable agriculture.

“The Agriculture Committee will allow New Zealand to shine a spotlight on our continued investment in developing high-impact technologies and practices to reduce emissions and promote sustainable agriculture,” said Damien O’Connor.

“This includes the creation of the new Center for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions to change the dial on climate-smart farming practices. There will be great interest in our world-class work to engage farmers to reduce their methane and nitrous oxide emissions from 2025.

“This is the first time the Agriculture Committee has met since 2016, and we cannot overestimate the value of working together in person.

“Together, we can identify the opportunities and challenges facing food production, and put on the table solutions to tackle them together.

“This includes creating the conditions for our employees, the environment and the agricultural sectors to thrive. This matches the approach New Zealand is already taking,” said Damien O’Connor.

Damien O’Connor will be traveling November 1-6, 2022.