Consumer Representation on AVMAC

AVMAC (the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Advisory Council) has reviewed and increased its membership to include a person to represent the interests of the New Zealand consumer. The new member is Meriel Watts.

Ms Watts is a member of the Pesticides Board, the Steering Council of Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific, and PAN AP’s Task Force on Women in Agriculture in Asia. She is Vice-President of the Soil & Health Association of NZ, Convenor of the Chemical Trespass Coalition and the National Consumer’s Food Safety Network. Currently, she is completing a PhD thesis on Ethical Pesticide Policy.

Background
AVMAC is an advisory council to the ACVM Group charged with giving comprehensive and balanced advice to MAF on the regulation of agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines. AVMAC has been in operation now for two years and meets every three months. The council has a total of 14 members and observers, as well as the independent chairperson.

The membership consists of organisations that are directly impacted by the ACVM Act. The organisations represented include industry manufacturer groups (such as ARPPA and Agcarm), New Zealand and export-based user groups (such as Federated Farmers, Poultry Industry Association, VegFed, FruitFed, and the New Zealand Meat Industry Association with the New Zealand Dairy Board representing the export-focused producer boards), other closely aligned Government departments (Ministry of Health, ERMA NZ), the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, the New Zealand Veterinary Association and the chair of the Animal Remedies and Pesticides Boards. There are also representatives from MAF Policy and MAF Biosecurity Groups.

A more detailed description of the role of AVMAC and notes from past meetings are available on the website under Forums/AVMAC.