The value of projects and investment that make a real difference was highlighted by Horticulture New Zealand when presenting a 2022 Environmental Award to Market Gardeners Ltd, trading as MG (MG).

The Horticulture New Zealand Environment trophy was presented to MG at the Vegetables New Zealand Roadshow for the effort the co-operative has put into decarbonising their Auckland branch. This includes introducing a new system that cuts refrigeration-related emissions to zero, the installation of the fifth largest on-roof solar project in New Zealand and the partnership with EcoStock to divert food-waste away from landfill.

HortNZ acknowledged that the sustainability work MG is doing is not just window-dressing. When delivering the award HortNZ President, Barry O’Neil, spoke about the commitment in terms of time and resources, the significant financial investment and pointed out that the projects deliver a meaningful and measurable difference in the carbon emissions.

Speaking about the award, MG CEO Peter Hendry said the accolade was good recognition for the work put in by a large team of MG employees, but credit should be shared with a number of stakeholders connected to the grower-owned co-operative.

“Delivering the projects that improve our environmental performance has been a real team effort with MG people from across the business making a contribution,” says Hendry.

“It’s also important to acknowledge that we wouldn’t be able to make the progress we have without the support of our growers and customers, so to that end, this award really belongs to everyone who works alongside us at MG.”

Read the Horticulture NZ article >>

Image: Ellery Tappin (MG), Barry O'Neil (HortNZ President) and Marcus Gobald (MG)