Groundswell started tractor protests because unworkable regulations were making life impossible for food producers and rural communities, while little to no attention was paid to the impact of those regulations. Farmers needed an uncompromising voice to speak on their behalf.

It worked. Your issues got national media coverage and the politicians had to listen to grassroots farmers.

We’ve seen a transformation in the way agricultural and environmental policy is talked about in New Zealand and in how the voice of farmers is represented to those who hold power on behalf of Kiwis.

That isn’t to say that the job is done – not by a long shot. Those changes are just the first step in getting the change in policy, law, and action that we need if family farming is to continue and rural communities are to survive.

We haven’t yet won all the debates we’re fighting, but the grassroots farmer is now a major voice in those debates, not just a bystander to be talked about.

Now, with the farmer protests overseas, some are asking why Groundswell isn’t protesting along with them.

First, Groundswell NZ stands with food producers everywhere, but there are a few points of context that come into play.

A major part of the European protests is about the subsidies those farmers get. It’s important to note that farmers in New Zealand don’t get subsidies and we don’t want them.

Those subsidies are between those farmers and their governments. Any protest in New Zealand won’t affect how those political fights go.

We’re focused on the political and regulatory situation here at home, which brings us to our second point.

The new Coalition Government has promised to make major changes on the issues we’ve been campaigning on. The promised set of changes isn’t perfect and a promise is not an action, so we’re not planning to take it easy.

But protesting about a government before they’ve had the chance to go wrong will backfire. If we make a fuss now, those politicians who would rather drag their heels on reform can write off the Groundswell movement as people who grumble no matter the weather.

The many urban folk who look favourably on farming and the tractor protests will be confused about what we want, since the Government can just say that they’re making the changes we’re asking for.

Protests and direct action are still on the table, but we have to use them strategically to get the change we need.

We will keep reminding the Government that we are paying close attention to whether they’re keeping their promises and meeting the deadlines they set.

The Groundswell movement is not about which parties are in government, but how those parties treat food producers and rural communities.

They know that if we don’t see change, we will take action – just like we did with the last government.

We’re telling the Government what changes need to be made and pointing out where their plans fall short.

We will also be holding local and regional councils to account. Some of them are in blatant defiance of the general election result and changes in policy, seemingly dedicated to an ideological view of environmental regulations (more on them soon).

With these councils acting contrary to the new Government’s directions, against the interests of their residents, and harming food producers, Groundswell is considering what action to take to demonstrate who the public stand with.

Groundswell is standing up for food producers and rural communities and it’s your support that gives us the backing and resources to make the politicians take grassroots voices seriously.

Thank you again for your support.

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Kind regards,

Bryce, Laurie, Mel and the Team at Groundswell NZ