New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust (NZFEA) chairman Jim Cotman says he is delighted to welcome Beef + Lamb New Zealand to the sponsorship family.

"The BFEA Awards highlight innovation and good practice and provide a useful benchmark for entrants to measure their ongoing progress along the sustainability journey," he says.

"With the meat sector generating about $6 billion annually it's important the industry can demonstrate to its markets that it is serious about the way its farmers manage their businesses."

Mr Cotman says the NZFEA-Beef + Lamb New Zealand partnership is a win-win situation because it recognises the efforts of farmers that understand and demonstrate empathy for the environment.

"The timing is good. This relationship complements the direction Beef + Lamb New Zealand is heading under its recently announced strategy revamp and shows livestock farmers that their on-farm efforts to improve sustainability are important."

Chief Executive Scott Champion says Beef + Lamb New Zealand invests farmer levies to help develop a growing sheep and beef industry providing sustainable returns for future generations.

"The Ballance Farm Environment Awards fit well with our objective of promoting sustainable farm and environment systems whilst growing profitability from sheep and beef farming.

"The awards are an excellent opportunity to highlight best practice farming systems, and recognise sheep and beef farmers using information and tools to support improvements in productivity whilst creating a sustainable environment."

Jim Cotman says Beef + Lamb New Zealand joins a strong line-up of sponsors that iincludes Ballance Agri-nutrients, LIC, PGG Wrightson, Hill Laboratories and Massey University. NZFEA also has strategic partnerships with Fonterra, DairyNZ and MAF.

He says the addition of Beef + Lamb New Zealand provides strong representation from the meat sector.

"The Ballance Farm Environment Awards are all about sharing information for the good of farmers and this will hopefully help the meat sector find common ground and shared direction on other pressing issues within the industry."