Dr David Steven awarded Hayward Medal for environmental contribution
Kiwifruit Industry Advisory Committee chairman and Zespri director, Paul Jones, presented the Medal at the Gala Dinner for the kiwifruit industry’s Momentum conference, recognising the enormous impact of Dr Steven’s lifetime of service to the kiwifruit industry, as the industry celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Zespri brand.
“David developed the Integrated Pest Management programme, known as KiwiGreen, back in 1991 which fundamentally shifted how the kiwifruit industry manages diseases and pests, and changed the philosophy of agrichemical use forever. It revolutionised horticulture around the world and 26 years later, KiwiGreen still defines the way we use agrichemicals and manage our orchards."
“It also moved the industry towards using more environmentally-friendly agrichemicals to target specific pests and diseases, resulting in greater biodiversity in the orchard,” says Mr Jones.
“David pioneered the idea of “demonstrated need” 26 years ago through the KiwiGreen programme where orchardists would monitor their orchards and only use the agrichemicals they actually needed at that time and recording it, shifting from calendar spraying to a more low-impact philosophy. While this is now mainstream practice, the move away from calendar spraying was radical at the time and met with considerable resistance."
“Reducing agrichemical use saved more than money: it lowered the risk of residues on fruit, reduced environmental impacts and underpinned market confidence in our fruit,” says Mr Jones."
“We at Fresh Carriers are proud to have partnered with the NZ kiwifruit industry for the past 30 years, delivering ever-increasing volumes of premium Zespri Kiwifruit to Japan, Korea and China."
“There are many people who have devoted their lives to building the success of this industry around the world. Fresh Carriers is delighted and proud to sponsor the Hayward Medal which recognises those who have made an outstanding contribution to the industry,” says Mr Takeshige.
For more information
Rachel Lynch
Zespri
rachel.lynch@zespri.com
Tel: +64 027 509 1805