MPI conferences and events

Are you planning to import food into New Zealand? Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refresh your understanding, we invite you enjoy our webinar recording, 'Food importing 101: Understanding the basics of food importing'.

The webinar provides a high-level overview of the key steps and responsibilities involved in importing food, with a focus on food safety.

It covers:

• key food safety responsibilities as an importer
• understanding what to expect at the border
• accessing tools and support to help you succeed.

 Food Importing 101: Understanding the basics of Food Importing – YouTube (19.42)

About this webinar

This was the second of 2 webinars organised by the Food and Grocery Council with support from New Zealand Food Safety – Haumaru Kai Aotearoa.

The webinars were designed to help leaders through the immediate and longer-term significant impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle. They were recorded for later viewing.

Jacqui Maguire, a registered clinical psychologist, shared practical tools and resources to help leaders look after themselves, their whānau, their workplace teams, and communities in response to Cyclone Gabrielle, and during any civil defence emergency.

During the aftermath of a disaster, it can be difficult to prioritise taking care of your wellbeing – getting rest, nutrition to fuel you, feeling moments of normalcy and accessing support can be tough during the best of times. It can also feel like pressure knowing that you need to support yourself to ensure you can lead your staff well during this national emergency, and beyond through the recovery.

In this session, Jacqui covered:

• understanding the various reactions people in your team could be experiencing
• what are the core needs for people during and recovering from disaster in the workplace
• how can leaders respond, plan, and act to best support their people during this time
• how can leaders best care for others when they're individually struggling.

Jacqui Maguire website

About this webinar

This was the first of 2 webinars organised by the Food and Grocery Council with support from New Zealand Food Safety - Haumaru Kai Aotearoa.

The webinars were designed to help leaders through the immediate and longer-term significant impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle. They were recorded and will be available for later viewing.

Jacqui Maguire, a registered clinical psychologist, shared practical tools and resources to help leaders look after themselves, their whānau, their workplace teams, and communities in response to Cyclone Gabrielle, and during any civil defence emergency.

During the aftermath of a disaster, it can be difficult to prioritise taking care of your wellbeing – getting rest, nutrition to fuel you, feeling moments of normalcy and accessing support can be tough during the best of times. It can also feel like pressure knowing that you need to support yourself to ensure you can lead your staff well during this national emergency, and beyond through the recovery.

In this session, Jacqui covered:

• acknowledging the psychological impact of disasters
• recognising signs of distress and poor mental health in yourself and others
• practical strategies of how to psychologically get through the early days
• the power of community. Why social connection is so important, especially during loss and devastation. There is no weakness in needing others
• how to check in with others and where to source help
• if you are a colleague sitting in a different part of NZ – what can you do that's helpful.

Jacqui Maguire website

Workshops were held for:  

• non-dairy evaluators
• farm dairy RMP operators
• recognised laboratories
• dairy manufacturers
• dairy infant formula manufactures
• dairy specialist cheese makers
• dairy evaluators and verifiers
• dairy transport and storage
• poultry processors
• pet food processors
• red meat suppliers
• red meat processors.

A workshop giving a general overview of regulatory redesign was also held. Some of the workshop sessions are available to watch on video.

Animal product regulations and notices – Workshop video recordings and presentation slides

Find out more

Changes to animal products regulations and notices

Redesign of animals products and wine regulations and notices

The webinar topics were:

• Exporting 101
• An introduction to Overseas Market Access Requirements (OMARs)
• Export certification: For plants, wine and processed foods
• Export certification: Insight into the Animal Products Electronic Certification system (AP E-Cert)
• Risk Based Measures – Food Act 2014, Animal Products Act 1999 & Wine Act 2003
• Exporting to Australia
• China registration of food manufacturing premises (Decree 248)

Videos of the webinar video recordings, presentations, and transcripts  are available on the Exporting webinars page.

The lecture series topics were:

• food regulation now and in the future
• Campylobacter
• trust in the food safety system for different segments of society
• contamination, communication, and confidence
• food standards and their effects on international trade
• frameworks that support novel foods
• regaining consumer trust in a digital age.

Videos of the lectures, speaker presentations, transcripts, and speaker bios are available on the New Zealand Food Safety Lecture Series page

The event included a dinner and presentation of awards for forestry science, lifetime achievement, and commitment to the protection of forests, forest ecosystems, and the connection of forests to people.

More information, including the details of the award winners and a downloadable history of forestry in New Zealand, is available on the 100 Years of Forestry page

It brought together national agencies, research organisations, universities, and industry to discuss transformative ideas to meet the future challenges for biosecurity.

The 2019 event’s talks covered:

• the state of innovation
• setting the future
• 5G in New Zealand
• innovative hyperspectral remote sensing methods for pre-visual detection in the context of biosecurity.

More information, including the videos and slideshows, is available on the Biosecurity Innovation Exchange page

About the conference

• Venue: Beijing Friendship Hotel, Beijing, People's Republic of China
• Date: 3 to 5 May 2019

This symposium provided a platform for dairy experts from around the world to meet and collaborate on the advances in science and technology that affect dairy cow nutrition and milk quality. 2019 was the sixth year that the symposium was held. The 2 main focuses were:

• milk quality improvement
• innovation in relevant science and technology.

MPI's involvement

MPI was a co-organiser of the conference. Other New Zealand co-organisers were:

• Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand
• AsureQuality
• New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre.

Overseas co-organisers include the Dairy Association of China and the American Dairy Science Association. The main organiser was the Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Find out more

• Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences website
• Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) website

The Taranaki Land Diversification Opportunities Symposium was held in Hawera on 27 August 2019. It was hosted by the Ministry for Primary Industries in partnership with Te Puni Kōkiri.

The symposium was open to all whanau, hapū, iwi, and anyone else interested in developing their whenua. Attendees heard about the journeys some Taranaki landowners have already undertaken. There were also presentations on the opportunities, advice, and funding available to help protect the land for future generations of mokopuna.

Presentations from guest speakers

• Food and Fibre value chain diversification – Justine Gilliland, Venture Taranaki [PDF, 4.4 MB]
• A way forward: Huakiwi Iwifruit – Ngai Tukairangi Trust [PDF, 1.8 MB]
• Plantation mānuka: an option for iwi? – Robert Tiopira, Mānuka Farming NZ Ltd [PDF, 1.2 MB]
• Temanea & Takutaimoana Kauika-Stevens Whānau Trust [PDF, 2.6 MB]