Trust is probably the best descriptor when trying to define social licence to operate, a term that i relatively new to the primary sector, Kellogg scholar and Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated communications manager Mike Murphy says.
“In fact, when I started researching I realised this is a very new area of business study but something that, in an environment where we have moved beyond short-term, profit-focused goals, is going to become far more significant in coming years.”
Early adopters have been Australian mining companies and aquaculture operations.
Murphy has examined how growers can be more involved in promoting the value of kiwifruit in their communities and overseas.
The equation goes that if growers help build community and social trust in the industry on all levels their ability to continue to grow and operate in those communities will be strengthened and continue.
From a purely quality perspective the kiwifruit sector has done a good job going beyond minimum regulatory standards. Zespri’s global good practice programme achieves that for aspects like spray residues and even more recently for labour standards.
But the industry to go even further and typically the carrot approach will work better than the stick.
“This includes communicating to growers the values of social licence aspects. For example, if it can be proved that fixed-term contracts create certainty and improve worker productivity through a validated study growers can trust then they will be more willing to endorse that.”
Offering up standards above expectations held by communities, for example, putting up shelter belts when they are not compulsory, helps increase a community’s broader appreciation of growers and the industry overall.
Murphy found in some respects the industry has already, perhaps unwittingly, embarked on reinforcing its social licence.
“We see Zespri offering growers the opportunity to go overseas to see their product in market and for overseas customers to come here and see where fruit comes from. This is all part of that trust-building aspect.”
Other industries have encouraged producers to build social licence with premium payments but more research is needed to determine if that would help kiwifruit growers.
“Good practice awards are an option too. But, really, we want to encourage those in the middle ground to lift their game, whereas award winners tend to be those already at the top end. Perhaps it is a case of having a most-improved category.”
Perhaps the first some in NZ’s primary sector heard about social licence was when it was muttered darkly by dairying leaders about how that industry’s social licence was being threatened by the likes of dirty dairying perceptions and sometimes controversial working conditions.
Murphy says the sensitive areas for kiwifruit still include spray treatments and worker welfare.
And managing the message to the broader community can be a tough task.
“With worker welfare Kiwifruit Growers operates a reporting system for workers who might feel exploited. The irony is this work might at least initially bring some negative attention, threaten our social licence if you like, but ultimately those poorer employers will be culled out for the longer-term gain.”
Murphy agrees trying to get a sector that is at the top of its game now to lift further can be tough.
“Things are going well, growers could well say ‘what is the need to do more?’”
But because it is not in survival mode now is the time the industry can afford to move to the next level of engagement.
He can see the value in a joint campaign, possibly between Zespri and Kiwifruit Growers, further linking overseas customers and local growers.
“This is the ideal time.
“It’s the opportunity to set ourselves up long term and it would be great to look back in a few years and see that our industry stepped up its social licence engagement and did it well.”
