Liese Galvin

Policy doesn’t sound exciting, but it underpins and directs many key on-farm decisions, says Liese, who believes getting it right allows farmers to do what they do best, while operating sustainably.

“Dairy farmers are natural stewards of the land. At DairyNZ, our Policy team’s job is to help get the setting right, so farmers are incentivised to do the right thing, and have the confidence to act,” says Liese.

Her role within the Policy team is to advocate for fair and evidence-based environmental policy for New Zealand dairy farmers. However, she also has another string to her bow.

“I also manage DairyNZ’s Healthy Waterways Programme. This programme of work includes our advocacy for freshwater policy, our science and research initiatives and activities, and our work with farmers in targeted catchments, which aims to improve waterway health.”

“Although most of my time is spent managing the many moving parts of the Healthy Waterways Programme, I’ll always have a soft spot for analysing policy proposals and developing DairyNZ’s positions. I’m particularly interested in policy that incentivises positive outcomes for nature, like biodiversity credits.”

Liese says she’s constantly learning from the talented team around here at DairyNZ, and from dairy farmers.

“I enjoy thinking creatively about how the sector can show environmental leadership, especially on some of the big challenges we face around water quality, climate change and biodiversity. I also love looking at global trends and international examples to inform us on how New Zealand can tackle these issues in a more integrated and holistic way.

Advocating effectively for farmers and the sector often means working in collaboration with farmers and others in the sector, which brings many benefits for all, says Liese.

“This role has really reinforced for me the power of working together and presenting a unified sector voice wherever possible. Everyone will always have their own interests to consider, but I love the challenge of finding common ground. Also, seeing people’s passion to make a difference is always inspiring.”

• Find out more about DairyNZ's other policy team members.
• Learn more about DairyNZ's policy, advocacy and regulation work on behalf of farmers.