Food and Fibre Sector experts to feature at the Reset Summit 2020

With more and more people focusing on their personal impact on the environment, our relationship with both food and textiles comes sharply into focus. Late October 2020, Wānaka charity WAO is hosting its annual summit, and one track of the summit focuses squarely on Food and Fibre.

The talks begin on Thursday 29th October with Circular Threads, a discussion on the importance of natural fibres, both plant and animal, to replace our reliance on synthetic fibres, one of the main culprits for the microplastics polluting our water and land. Colin McKenzie, current CEO Carrfields Primary Wool Group (soon to be rebranded “NZ Natural Fibres”), will join a panel discussion to discuss the emerging awareness and trend towards the use of “all natural”.

“Last year Scion studied the prevalence of micro plastics on Auckland beaches. They found that over 80% of the plastics came from synthetic textile fibres,” said Monique Kelly, Summit organiser.

“Understanding the true cost of using these fibres is crucial, as is the shift towards natural fibres. With potential in both natural and animal fibres, we have an opportunity to accelerate New Zealand’s position as being a leader in this field. That’s why, with the help of WAI Wanaka, we’ve put such a focus on food and fibre this year”

On Friday 30th, as part of a series of four workshops on carbon, Dr. Carly Green, global expert in agricultural and forestry carbon mitigation, will be running a workshop for the sector.

“These practical workshops have been set up to demystify carbon and start businesses on the path to reduction and mitigation. The Friday session will focus on providing useful tools to enable farmers and growers to undertake initial estimates of on farm and operation emissions and mitigation potential. Given the costs of environmental monitoring, these workshops provide a cost effective way to enable businesses to take control and get the right tools to monitor emissions.”

The Friday evening will conclude with an expert panel discussion with industry experts, John Rodwell, Pablo Gregorini, Alan McDermott and Megan Williams. They will discuss how the food and fibre sector are leading the discussion on our environmental and social footprint, with the creation of a New Zealand vision for a regenerative mindset, Taiao approach, ethically sourced outstanding products.

The field visits on Saturday 31st will demonstrate how this vision is being put into action. “Over the past year, the WAI Wanaka Action Groups have been supporting change at pace through connection, collaboration and taking a whole of catchment approach to improving water and land ecosystems,” said Mandy Bell, Chair of WAI Wanaka.

“These visits provide the opportunity, for both urban and rural dwellers, to visit five farms and learn about key aspects of the groups’ work. Each farm will focus on different aspects of the work being done including soil health, riparian planting, carbon sequestration, water monitoring and the multiscapes that make up our rural landscape.”

The Saturday evening then finishes with drinks and nibbles at Criffel Station Woolshed. For the first time, Camilla Rutherford will be presenting her ‘Heal the Earth’ exhibit. Camilla said: “Following a year’s journey visiting regenerative farms throughout Aotearoa, I was humbled and inspired by meeting these hard working people, hearing their stories and what led them down this path. They are doing what they can to improve the land for not only future generations, but for New Zealand as a whole. These farmers are our future and our hope.”

The event is a great opportunity to enjoy a couple of drinks and sample some of Wanaka’s beautiful produce while enjoying the stunning setting of Criffel Station.

Programme information and ticket details can be found at the event website: www.resetsummit2020.com.