5 Minutes With OANZ CEO, Tiffany Tompkins
Tiffany Tompkins has recently taken up the CEO reins at OANZ and her enthusiasm for organic brands stems from her extensive experience in the food and beverage industries. She began her organic journey in the United States as an importer of organic Fairtrade wine. With the motto 'Drink Like You Give a Damn', she sold wine to distributors and national retailers like Whole Foods Market while educating the public on why this type of wine mattered.
In the USA, Tiffany became part-owner and COO of an online organic gift company, America's Best Organics. Prior to that, she worked on brand engagement in the health and sustainability products market. She has also been involved in lobbying, including campaigns around GMO labelling and organic standards. Since moving to New Zealand, Tiffany has been involved in the organic industry as a member of the Organic Winegrowers New Zealand executive board (treasurer) and a board member of OANZ.
We recently caught up with Tiff (as she likes to be called) to learn a bit more about what makes her tick.
What motivates you in the morning?
Coffee, Organic, Fairtrade. Strong Black Coffee. It's my morning ritual to drink coffee outside in the sun while looking over the sheep, the dog, the cat and chickens.
App/technology you couldn't live without?
My phone and everything that is on there. Apps, apps and more apps.
What are you most thankful for?
My family
Name a book you think everyone should read?
I have two that I often recommend and give as presents - God Bless You, Mr. Rosewatar by Kurt Vonnegut. It is quirky but one of my favourites. And, The Counte of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. An amazing classic.
Name one of your guilty pleasures?
Netflix. There are many movies and TV shows to choose from, and I can get sucked into the entertainment vortex. The highlights over the last year include Don't Look Up, The Power of the Dog, watching all six seasons of Schitt's Creek, Bridgerton, and the last season of Grace and Frankie (I am really going to miss that one.)
What are you working on right now?
I am currently focusing on building closer relationships across multiple Government agencies and coordinating the work of five Organic Sector Strategy Action Groups. Over the next three years, OANZ's strategic plan prioritises the work of the Strategy while also helping the Sector become part of the national conversation. But in addition to advocacy in Wellington, I am exploring better ways OANZ can communicate and coordinate with local and regional groups. It's an exciting time for organics, and a lot is going on. We need to make sure we are building capacity across the country.
What are you most hopeful for the future?
Organic food gardens and farms everywhere! My hope is that New Zealand becomes incredibly food resilient and food secure through climate change. Growing healthy, nutritious organic kai in local communities will help feed our nation, address broken distribution systems, increase economic vitality across the organic ecosystem, and allow our local environment and biodiversity to thrive.
What was the biggest change you encountered during your years working in the Organic Sector?
One of the most significant changes that I have witnessed is outside the Sector. The rapid rise of lab-grown or cell-based meats and the amount of investment (billions of dollars) into this space is astonishing.
Cell-based agriculture creates products from cell cultures instead of whole plants or animals. And it makes the old cartoon, The Jetsons, feel like it's coming to life. This is a new field that we in the Organic Sector should be aware of, especially around the use of GE and how these products are communicated to consumers.
It also provides opportunities for New Zealand producers to stand out in the market with its production of regenerative organic products. Will we be using the term "real food" in the future?
What are your goals as CEO of OANZ?
I have two overarching goals that I feel are absolutely critical. The first is to keep working towards a more coordinated and unified Sector. Organics require a holistic view, whether at the farm level or the Sector level. I believe that "the whole is more than the sum of its parts." The second goal is to raise funds for projects implementing the Organic Sector Strategy. I am meeting with Government agencies to help identify potential funding streams. For example, I've recently met with MPI about the organic farmer extension programme and ecosystem database.
What is one thing you'd like to see change here in NZ?
I'd love the New Zealand Government to recognise organic production as a common or public good. The flow-on effects from that would be amazing. The Government would recognise the benefits of organic production on farming families, communities, the environment, mitigating climate change, food security and the economy. This would open the door to better growth policies at local and national levels, and increased investment and lending opportunities.