People are at the heart of B+LNZ, our vision and strategy talks to sustainable and profitable farmers and thriving rural communities, none of which happens without healthy, thriving people.
Collectively the red meat sector produces almost $12 billion in exports for consumers across the globe, but it comes at a huge cost.
Last year, 13 farmers lost their lives on New Zealand farms and more than 2,000 suffered serious injuries that forced them off work for a week or more. These injuries, deaths and mental harm are hurting families, workers, and rural communities.
That’s why we are supporting Half Arsed Stops Here campaign and Farm Without Harm strategy, which is taking the health and safety message straight to the heart of rural communities.
As part of the initiative, B+LNZ, alongside other industry leaders and farmers from across the country, has signed a pledge, committing to keeping those working on farms healthy and safe.
The strategy and campaign, developed by the Agricultural Leaders’ Health and Safety Action Group (Safer Farms), is a bold, system-wide strategy and action plan developed by the agricultural sector for the agricultural sector.
It involves gaining a deeper understanding of different forms of harm and redesigning our farming systems to prevent harm.
To address these harms, the sector has identified ways we need to work differently and four high harm areas that need an urgent focus:
- risks to mental health resulting in reduced wellbeing
- harm experienced while working with vehicles and machinery
- physical stress and injuries from handling livestock
- harm caused by exposure to agricultural chemicals and airborne risks.
Instead of relying on high vis vests or helmets, we are looking to eliminate harm from the system wherever we can by working and learning together to find solutions, understanding that safety starts with a culture of care and continuing to invest in new approaches.
Healthy and safe farms are attractive places to live and work and this is vital so we can attract the best people to our sector. Safer Farms, the Farm Without Harm strategy and the pledge is a great example of an industry-led solution that we’re pleased to support.
Over the coming months, we will be sharing more information about the programme, but in the meantime, we encourage you to sign the pledge by visiting www.farmwithoutharm.org.nz