MEDIA & STATEMENTS

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Following reporting today on The Country regarding Animal Policy International and in light of information that has now been made available to me, I have reached a position where I cannot, in good conscience, continue to act as a spokesperson for the Fair for Farmers campaign.

This decision is not casual. It is considered.

I have been and remain, a strong advocate for the New Zealand pork industry, the poultry sector and rural New Zealand more broadly. I believe in fairness for farmers. I have argued for it publicly and without hesitation.

But advocacy must be grounded in clarity and integrity.

I have asked questions about the structure, influences and affiliations behind the campaign I was fronting. I was given answers. I accepted those answers. On the information I had at the time, that was reasonable.

It is no longer.

Further information has emerged that raises issues I cannot reconcile. In particular, I cannot ignore the connection to leadership that has previously been associated with activist activity that has caused material damage to the New Zealand pork industry.

That is not a peripheral issue. It goes to the heart of credibility.

You cannot, on one hand, claim to stand for farmers and on the other be connected to a legacy that has actively worked against them.

That contradiction is not something I am prepared to front, defend or explain away. Accordingly, I have withdrawn as a spokesperson for Fair for Farmers.

Let me be equally clear about what has not changed. My position on the need to support New Zealand farmers, uphold strong animal welfare standards and ensure a fair and sustainable domestic food system remains exactly as it was.

I will continue that advocacy, but I will do so independently, through my Farming with Walt platform.

Others will make their own decisions about their involvement. This is mine.

Finally, I acknowledge that my previous role in the campaign may have led others to rely on my endorsement. To that extent, I apologise.

— Walt Cavendish