The US Mission to New Zealand is a week-long interactive programme for people working in fields related to global food security set up by the Gilman Scholarship Programme out of the US to examine how New Zealand navigates geopolitical and climate change risks as a food and fibre-based economy.
Darrin Vander Plas, from the US Department of Agriculture, is one of these people who has ventured over and he explains further what the goal of the trip is as well as some of the highlights so far.
Vander Plas, who manages the USDA Farm Loan Program in Maui County, Hawaii, highlights the resilience of Kiwi farmers despite the absence of government subsidies.
Additionally, he discusses his experiences in The Gambia and Uganda, where he supported local farmers through various agricultural initiatives and his experiences during last year’s wildfires in Hawaii.
Listen to the full chat between Darrin Vander Plas and Dominic George above.
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