title: Sustainable development: what it means to CFOs of New Zealand

authors: Dimitrov, Dara

subjects: corporate social responsibility

abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this research is to evaluate and better understand the Chief Financial Officers' (CFOs) role in sustainability reporting of New Zealand's (NZ) publicly listed companies. 
Design/methodology/approach – The research uses a questionnaire sent to the CFOs of 88 of New Zealand's largest listed companies; the CFOs were telephoned beforehand and introduced to the nature of the research and asked if they would participate. A total of 33 fully completed responses were returned. 
Findings – CFOs expressed their agreement with the adoption of sustainable development as they believed there were benefits to be made for their firms; the survey identified reputation enhancement and good corporate governance as the two main benefits. However they were reluctant to have their firms' information scrutinised by stakeholders. They believed that stakeholders are largely unaware of the difficulties of adopting sustainable development practices, and furthermore, stakeholders have unrealistic expectations of what their firms could achieve by adopting sustainable development. CFOs did not believe that sustainable development would cut costs and improve their profits – rather they believed that sustainable development adoption was very inconvenient as it is costly. Thus the influence for firms to adopt sustainable development practices is driven largely by non-financial factors rather than any economic gains. This corroborates earlier findings. 
Research limitations/implications – The research utilises primary data collected in 2008. A useable response rate of 38 per cent was achieved. The research is restricted to New Zealand listed companies. 
Practical implications – In gaining a deeper appreciation of where CFOs gain their understanding of sustainable development issues, and how they participate in the discourse around sustainable development, we are potentially better able to provide information to this key group of people. 
Originality/value – Very little research has been undertaken into how CFOs gain their knowledge about sustainability reporting nor about their views on the subject. This research attempts to fill this gap and opens the way for similar work to be undertaken overseas.

text: Sustainable development: what it means to CFOs of New Zealand Purpose – The purpose of this research is to evaluate and better understand the Chief Financial Officers' (CFOs) role in sustainability reporting of New Zealand's (NZ) publicly listed companies. 
Design/methodology/approach – The research uses a questionnaire sent to the CFOs of 88 of New Zealand's largest listed companies; the CFOs were telephoned beforehand and introduced to the nature of the research and asked if they would participate. A total of 33 fully completed responses were returned. 
Findings – CFOs expressed their agreement with the adoption of sustainable development as they believed there were benefits to be made for their firms; the survey identified reputation enhancement and good corporate governance as the two main benefits. However they were reluctant to have their firms' information scrutinised by stakeholders. They believed that stakeholders are largely unaware of the difficulties of adopting sustainable development practices, and furthermore, stakeholders have unrealistic expectations of what their firms could achieve by adopting sustainable development. CFOs did not believe that sustainable development would cut costs and improve their profits – rather they believed that sustainable development adoption was very inconvenient as it is costly. Thus the influence for firms to adopt sustainable development practices is driven largely by non-financial factors rather than any economic gains. This corroborates earlier findings. 
Research limitations/implications – The research utilises primary data collected in 2008. A useable response rate of 38 per cent was achieved. The research is restricted to New Zealand listed companies. 
Practical implications – In gaining a deeper appreciation of where CFOs gain their understanding of sustainable development issues, and how they participate in the discourse around sustainable development, we are potentially better able to provide information to this key group of people. 
Originality/value – Very little research has been undertaken into how CFOs gain their knowledge about sustainability reporting nor about their views on the subject. This research attempts to fill this gap and opens the way for similar work to be undertaken overseas.

year: 2011

title: Using 'the body' as an 'instrument of research': kimch'i and pavlova

authors: Longhurst, Robyn

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: Often researchers position themselves in relation to race, age and gender, but the body is less often discussed as an actual 'instrument of research'. We aim to extend thinking on this point by reflecting on a project we conducted on migrant women and food in New Zealand. We present a vignette as an example of how we used our bodies as 'instruments of research' at a 'shared lunch' attended by new migrants from a range of different countries. At the lunch some combined on their plates spicy dishes such as kimch'i (fermented vegetables) and sweet dishes such as pavlova (a meringue dessert). For others this combination prompted feelings of disgust. We conclude that the body is a primary tool through which all interactions and emotions filter in accessing research subjects and their geographies.

text: Using 'the body' as an 'instrument of research': kimch'i and pavlova Often researchers position themselves in relation to race, age and gender, but the body is less often discussed as an actual 'instrument of research'. We aim to extend thinking on this point by reflecting on a project we conducted on migrant women and food in New Zealand. We present a vignette as an example of how we used our bodies as 'instruments of research' at a 'shared lunch' attended by new migrants from a range of different countries. At the lunch some combined on their plates spicy dishes such as kimch'i (fermented vegetables) and sweet dishes such as pavlova (a meringue dessert). For others this combination prompted feelings of disgust. We conclude that the body is a primary tool through which all interactions and emotions filter in accessing research subjects and their geographies.

year: 2008

title: Microbiological quality of Toroi:  A Māori food delicacy

authors: Dixon, Lorraine Louise

subjects: Maori

abstract: A study was undertaken to determine the food safety of the fermented Māori delicacy, Toroi.  Ten batches of Toroi were prepared by a commonly used traditional method that consisted of boiling the vegetable component, either watercress or puha, and combining it with chopped mussel flesh.  The mixture was cooled and then stored in a refrigerator for up to eight months to allow natural fermentation to take place.  All ingredients were sourced from retail outlets.  The Toroi was examined at intervals over eight months for a range of pathogens (seven in all) that have been related to incidents of food poisoning in ready-to-eat foods in New Zealand.  The survival of a faecal contamination indicator, the laboratory grown strain Escherichia coli NZRM 916, was mapped over eight months.  Two strategies to prevent the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in Toroi were also investigated.  

Only one of the seven pathogens sought was recovered from any sample.  This pathogen was Bacillus cereus, a spore-former known to be associated with vegetables.  All batches contained B. cereus on the day of preparation but after two weeks refrigerated storage there was no further recovery from any sample.  There was a very low incidence of natural E. coli in the Toroi, consistent with levels permitted in mussels sold in retail outlets.  The laboratory grown strain, E. coli declined substantially over two months and was not recovered from any samples at eight months.  
A laboratory grown strain of Listeria monocytogenes, (L70) was added to Toroi and grew well with an increase in concentration of about seven-fold, over 19 days storage in a refrigerator.  A bacteriocin producing lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus sake Lb706, was added in combined culture with L. monocytogenes to Toroi.  It was found that at least 5 x108 L. sake cells were required as an inoculum to ensure elimination of L. monocytogenes from the Toroi.  When a purified bacteriocin; nisin, was added, a concentration of 10 mg g-1 in the Toroi was required to eliminate L. monocytogenes.  The inhibition study results suggest that unacceptably high inocula or purified bacteriocin would be required to prevent the growth of L. monocytogenes in Toroi.

The results of this suggest that Toroi be prepared from mussels either purchased from a retail outlet or harvested from sites known to be free from contamination.  Toroi should be safe to eat if prepared carefully, chilled promptly and thoroughly and allowed to ferment for at least two weeks.  In addition, care should be taken to maintain Toroi at refrigerated temperatures until it is eaten.

text: Microbiological quality of Toroi:  A Māori food delicacy A study was undertaken to determine the food safety of the fermented Māori delicacy, Toroi.  Ten batches of Toroi were prepared by a commonly used traditional method that consisted of boiling the vegetable component, either watercress or puha, and combining it with chopped mussel flesh.  The mixture was cooled and then stored in a refrigerator for up to eight months to allow natural fermentation to take place.  All ingredients were sourced from retail outlets.  The Toroi was examined at intervals over eight months for a range of pathogens (seven in all) that have been related to incidents of food poisoning in ready-to-eat foods in New Zealand.  The survival of a faecal contamination indicator, the laboratory grown strain Escherichia coli NZRM 916, was mapped over eight months.  Two strategies to prevent the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in Toroi were also investigated.  

Only one of the seven pathogens sought was recovered from any sample.  This pathogen was Bacillus cereus, a spore-former known to be associated with vegetables.  All batches contained B. cereus on the day of preparation but after two weeks refrigerated storage there was no further recovery from any sample.  There was a very low incidence of natural E. coli in the Toroi, consistent with levels permitted in mussels sold in retail outlets.  The laboratory grown strain, E. coli declined substantially over two months and was not recovered from any samples at eight months.  
A laboratory grown strain of Listeria monocytogenes, (L70) was added to Toroi and grew well with an increase in concentration of about seven-fold, over 19 days storage in a refrigerator.  A bacteriocin producing lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus sake Lb706, was added in combined culture with L. monocytogenes to Toroi.  It was found that at least 5 x108 L. sake cells were required as an inoculum to ensure elimination of L. monocytogenes from the Toroi.  When a purified bacteriocin; nisin, was added, a concentration of 10 mg g-1 in the Toroi was required to eliminate L. monocytogenes.  The inhibition study results suggest that unacceptably high inocula or purified bacteriocin would be required to prevent the growth of L. monocytogenes in Toroi.

The results of this suggest that Toroi be prepared from mussels either purchased from a retail outlet or harvested from sites known to be free from contamination.  Toroi should be safe to eat if prepared carefully, chilled promptly and thoroughly and allowed to ferment for at least two weeks.  In addition, care should be taken to maintain Toroi at refrigerated temperatures until it is eaten.

year: 2007