Vegetable industry pays tribute to stalwart, Stuart Davis

New Zealand’s horticulture sector has paid tribute to industry leader Dr Stuart Davis, who passed away last week.

Vegetables New Zealand board chair, John Murphy said Dr Davis’ contribution is hugely respected throughout the industry.

“This is tough news. Stuart will be remembered as a highly influential figure in New Zealand’s vegetable sector for more than 35 years, known for consistently turning science and practical on-farm experience into real-world improvements for growers and the environment.

“We will miss Stuart’s sharp wit and genuine care for people. His ambition and drive for the vegetable industry to genuinely do better can’t be understated.

“In particular, Stuart was an avid champion of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), promoting systems that protect crops while reducing reliance on broad-spectrum controls and supporting long-term environmental outcomes.”

Horticulture New Zealand board chair, Bernadine Guilleux said Dr Davis’s contribution to the industry has been immense.

“Stuart was the 2024 winner of the Bledisloe Cup, New Zealand’s highest horticulture honour, recognising outstanding and meritorious contribution to the industry.

“That reflected what growers and industry leaders long knew. That Stuart helped shape a smarter, more sustainable future for vegetable growing in New Zealand. We valued his wisdom, calm leadership and relentless focus on improvement.”

Beginning in the 1980s, Dr Davis pioneered the commercial use of mathematical crop prediction models for sweetcorn and other vegetable crops in collaboration with Crop & Food Research and NIWA. This groundbreaking work helped lay the foundation for today’s close partnership between science and the vegetable industry.

Most recently, as sustainability manager for LeaderBrand, he was a driving force behind the introduction of science and innovation into practical vegetable production systems.

LeaderBrand chief executive, Richard McPhail said that his scientific knowledge, his environmental drive and commercial pragmatism were a winning formula.

“There are few leaders that have had the impact and generated as much change for our industry as Stuart, his fingerprints will last for decades to come. Most of all Stuart was an extremely proud father, loved music, and was passionate about all sport. He was an all-round top bloke, and he will be missed.”

Stuart served for more than 10 years as a director of Vegetables NZ and also chaired the Vegetable Research & Innovation Board, helping co-ordinate research investment across multiple vegetable product groups.

Stuart’s commitment to understanding the relationship between horticulture and the environment saw him play a key role in shaping A Lighter Touch (ALT), a $27 million, seven-year programme jointly funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries and industry to shift pest management towards more sustainable practices.

ALT programme governance group chair, David Tanner said everyone involved with the ALT programme sends their deepest condolences to Stuart’s loved ones and all who cared for him.

“We will all miss him immensely. We’re mourning the loss of a man who made an immeasurable contribution to industry – he spoke the language of both scientists and growers. On a personal level, Stuart was extraordinarily generous with his time, and we all greatly enjoyed his quick repartee and dry wit. Stuart was a colleague and friend for over 30 years. He leaves an enormous gap.”

ALT programme director, Livia Esterhazy said Stuart was the cornerstone figure in the programme.

“Stuart’s drive, ambition and ability to bring people together into action is what gave birth to this programme and saw it succeed. He led the programme’s Industry Stakeholder Advisory Group as chair, with strategic and thoughtful guidance. His visionary leadership will see growers and the wider industry reap lasting benefits from his efforts for many years to come.”