What better way to mark Earth Day 2011 than by exploring the latest innovations from a country that has long epitomized what it means to be green: New Zealand.
"Being
green is part of New Zealand's DNA," said Tanya Shuster, a business development
manager with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the country's national economic
development agency. "It's not a marketing gimmick it just makes sense to
the New Zealand ethos."
Blessed with a pristine environment, a wealth of nature's best ingredients and an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit that spawns creative companies, New Zealand is tapping into a burgeoning demand for sustainable offerings in everything from clothing to carpeting to cosmetics. The country's natural products industry is now worth more than $750 million annually and growing.
Among the latest, cool, eco-friendly products from New Zealand are
Ethical Wool and Happy Sheep:
A New Zealand merino brand called Zque is adding a new fiber category to the country's venerable wool industry that it has dubbed "ethical wool." The company's Zque fiber combines natural performance wool with an accreditation program that ensures environmental, social and economic sustainability, animal welfare and traceability back to the source. Likewise Icebreaker use pure, superfine New Zealand merino from sustainable sheep farms to make high-performance outdoor wear. Icebreaker even includes a "Baacode" - get it? - to trace the origins of the wool from the mountains of New Zealand.
Wools of New Zealand is promoting a new brand called Laneve, which is traced back to the farm where it was grown. Laneve represents wool that comes from accredited New Zealand farms that meet a comprehensive range of environmental, social and responsibility and animal welfare standards. It is carried on carpets and rugs made by manufacturer partners around the world. Laneve, along with the established Wools of New Zealand brand, are working to build a stronger desire for New Zealand wool and the happy sheep that graze the lush, verdant countryside.
· "Green" Wine:
More than 1,100 vineyards have now signed up to Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, the industry's program for environmental, social and economic sustainability. That equates to over 84 percent of New Zealand's wine producing land or nearly 65,000 acres.
Case in point is the award-winning Villa Maria Estate, which was an early adopter of the screw cap and is devoted to sustainable practices ranging from night air cooling, renewable energy and heat recovery at its wineries to organic viticulture and hybrid vehicles for its sales team.
Natural Beauty:
Kio Kio, a new body care line from New Zealand that recently made its U.S. debut at exclusive Fred Segal boutiques in Los Angeles, sets a new standard in eco-conscious beauty with its "wild-harvested" methods using botanical native extracts from the country's virgin forests and eco-friendly packaging made from recyclable materials. Another upscale line of 100% natural skin care from New Zealand-based Snowberry combines the "purest, finest ingredients" from New Zealand wilderness with sophisticated packaging that appeals to the chic and fashionable.
Pacific Perfumes has perfected an all-natural solid perfume packed in eco-friendly, biodegradable wooden pots sourced from certified sustainable New Zealand forests. The company donates $1 from each sale to Forest & Bird, New Zealand's oldest and largest conservation organization
Surf & Turf:
Sustainable, environmentally responsible husbandry is at the core of NZ King Salmon, which raises King Salmon prized throughout the world for its rich flavor, elegant texture, deep orange color and high natural oil content. The company is introducing a new premium cold smoked salmon to upscale food purveyors in the U.S. that is pin-boned by hand, brined with sea salt and then slowly smoked with Manuka wood, a hardwood native to New Zealand. Likewise, New Zealand is a key source for sustainable grass-fed beef for discriminating palates and eco-conscious foodies. Anzco Foods' grass-fed Greenstone Creek and Maori Lakes grass-fed beef and Pilot Brands' Firstlight grass-fed Wagyu beef are two examples of this coming straight from New Zealand's pastures.
For more information, visit www.newzealand.com.
It's a sad irony that it's NZ that leads the way for being green yet is the one that suffers from our lack of care over the years with the Ozone.