FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Botulism scare highlights vulnerability of New Zealand's reputation

Christchurch, New Zealand - August 5, 2013

The current botulism scare has highlighted New Zealand's vulnerability to bad news in a hyper-connected world. David Thompson, CEO of the Canterbury Sustainable Business Forum remarked that "while the direct impact of this event won't be ascertained for some time, it is very likely that our export markets will subject New Zealand's business and environmental practices to increasing levels of scrutiny. For many decades we have successfully traded on our clean, green reputation, but unfortunately this is becoming increasingly illusory."

Consumers worldwide have become better informed than at any time in history and are placing increasing demands on their suppliers for not just clean and healthy products, but for goods that are produced sustainably. An immediate step that any exporter can take to protect their reputation is to participate in one of the environmental management and certification programmes available. Thompson observed that "in Christchurch we have several organisations than can assess a business's vulnerability to external scrutiny and assist them to resolve any issues before they're a problem. This typically leads to gaining internationally recognised certification which can be used to satisfy any concerns raised by their customers and supply chains."

Businesses that are already engaged in the certification process report that in addition to protecting their reputation, they experience improvements in business efficiency with reductions in operating costs that typically balance any financial costs incurred. "The problem for many business owners is identifying which system is best for them and who to work with. For some companies, full ISO certification is essential, however for others there are industry or situation-specific options that are simpler and more cost effective to implement. We are happy to advise businesses on the best options for them."

ENDS

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