*The views expressed by this Rangatahi member are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of the organisation(s) they represent.
Kimberly Edge: Sustainable Dairying Advisor, Fonterra
A shift to Canada and experiencing its expansive and beautiful outdoors triggered a new appreciation for Aotearoa New Zealand’s own natural beauty in Kimberly Edge, our new Rangatahi Advisory Panel member.
“I grew up in Middlemarch, a tiny town in Otago. It’s at the base of the beautiful Rock and Pillar Range in the Strath Taieri Valley. But I didn’t really appreciate nature growing up. It wasn’t until my husband, and I lived in Canada for 16 months that I started to appreciate it. The Canadian outdoors is beyond beautiful, and we found ourselves in this parallel of being in awe with the scale of these picturesque scenes and at the same time making comparisons with the landscapes of New Zealand’s landscapes and the feeling of wonder they give you. We often told our friends there, “You think this is cool, you need to see New Zealand.” It suddenly dawned on me that New Zealand is special given the scope of nature over the size of our country. I immediately felt this need to be part of that, I need to enjoy it more, care for it more and be with people who feel the same way.”
Kimberly started working with Fonterra Farm Source seven years ago and has now found her place as a Sustainable Dairying Advisor based in Otautau in Western Southland.
“I love working with farmers in my community and being part of their progress. We have some ambitious emissions targets. Currently 94% of Fonterra’s emissions are from on-farm. We’ve committed to reducing Scope 1 and 3 forest, land and agriculture (FLAG) GHG emissions from dairy by 30% per tonne of fat-and-protein-corrected milk (FPCM) by FY2030 from a FY2018 base year.
“Farmers have achieved big goals with fencing waterways, completing nutrient budgets, developing farm environment plans, and progressing with best management practices. My job is to figure how can I help farmers in their efficiency journey in a way that’s meaningful to them and considers all the other pressures they’re working with.”
Kimberly joined The Aotearoa Circle’s Rangatahi Advisory Panel (known as RAP) in February saying she was immediately inspired when reading the role overview.
“I read the ‘who we are’ part of the application pack, and the ‘what we do’ and it felt real and genuine. It wasn’t about being the new best thing or promoting one aspect of sustainability over others. It was balanced and practical. I’d never seen an opportunity like it before as a young rural professional in Southland.”
Each RAP, employed by Partners of the Circle, has an 18-month tenure. Kimberly says she is looking forward to expanding her exposure to governance, workstreams, concepts, and ways of thinking that are completely external to her daily role.
“I find fulfilment when the opportunities I’ve taken enable me to give a better experience to the people I work with. In a field role with farmers, I’m mostly focused on what’s happening for them and what the next steps look like - it’s really connected to their direct environment. So, work streams like the Circle’s Future Fit Shipping bring a fascinating, new level of context to something that has a huge impact but not something we experience directly in our daily lives.”
Kimberly believes New Zealand could benefit from more collaboration between urban and rural communities and diversity of skills and thoughts for greater empathy and connection.
“I feel there’s so much to be unlocked by partnership between communities. It’s something I’ve enjoyed within Fonterra. We have a hugely diverse workforce, and most have either come from rural backgrounds or have a huge passion for New Zealand’s nature and how farming can fit in this.”
And with Fonterra a Partner of the Circle, Kimberly is now on our RAP. “I’m also grateful for the opportunity and impressed by the authenticity and insights from the other panel members, and the constructive energy created by the group. Through talking to our previous RAP Fonterra member Tim Hodgson, and now joining the group, the Aotearoa Circle and the RAP is everything I had expected and more. This already feels like a highlight of my career.”
