Top horticulture honour for LeaderBrand sustainability manager

LeaderBrand sustainability manager Dr Stuart Davis has won New Zealand’s highest horticulture honour — the Bledisloe Cup.   

The cup is awarded by Horticulture NZ annually in recognition of individuals who have made an outstanding and meritorious contribution to the sector over decades. 

Davis has played a significant role in the vegetable sector for 35-plus years, championing the introduction of science and innovation to enhance sustainable vegetable production. 

He started his career in the Wattie’s group, then moved to LeaderBrand in Gisborne with an interlude with Sutherland Produce, before returning to LeaderBrand in Pukekohe. 

Davis has been a director of Vegetables NZ and chair of the Vegetable Research and Innovation Board, and has had many leading roles in many industry projects, especially in integrated pest and disease management. 

Currently, he’s the Industry Stakeholder Advisory Group chair for “A Lighter Touch” — a pan-sector programme that addresses the challenge of meeting consumer demands for safe, plant-based foods produced under sustainable pest management programmes, while also caring for the environment. 

Davis said he had enjoyed so many good connections with growers, consultants and researchers working on collaborative projects that made a difference to the industry. 

“I am also grateful that I have had employers that granted me the licence to do industry-good work, and especially proud to bring the Bledisloe Cup back to LeaderBrand in our company’s 50th year.” 

LeaderBrand CEO Richard Burke said everyone in the team was delighted to see Davis’ years of dedication to the industry acknowledged. 

“There is nothing Stuart doesn’t know about growing vegetables. 

“Over the last 30 years I have worked alongside him, his knowledge and dedication has made him an integral member of the team. 

“In every role, Stuart has been instrumental in initiating research, science, and innovation into understanding the relationships of vegetable farming with the environment and developing new thinking on sustainable methods of crop protection. 

“He has also been a strong champion for the industry bodies, sitting on several horticultural organisations championing the industry with government and councils.” 

Davis had dedicated many hours to the cause and worked tirelessly in all his roles, always having the industry’s best interests at heart, Burke said. 

“He has managed technical and operational areas here at LeaderBrand Gisborne before moving to our Pukekohe farm to ensure our environmental projects are on track and getting done. 

“He manages everything from the company’s regenerative farming project, riparian planting, biodiversity project, our emissions, nitrogen, and water efficiency projects and so much more. 

“There is no one more deserving of this honour.”