2018: The Agriculture Dilemma

Following an introduction by the Governor General HE Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy;

• Professor Juliet Gerrard set the scene and described how leaders make decisions in the complex world where competing advice, limited knowledge and competing interests and risks must be weighed;

• Dr William Rolleston discussed the role of an evidence-based advocate;

• Dr Stephen Goldson explained the role of a trusted advisor.

The Challenge - The “Agriculture Dilemma” - Agriculture is suffering from a growing dilemma: it needs to contribute to feeding a growing world population, and conserve biodiversity and manage natural resources of an increasingly depleted planet. In addition it agriculture is the economic life blood for many nations.

Have we got the balance just right and if not, what steps do we need to take to optimise the balance in the future?

Participants were asked to:-

• address this question

• recommend changes or steps that could be taken to change the balance, and

• consider the impact(s) of their recommendations      

Each group reported back on their key recommendations and a rapporteur (Veronika Meduna) drafted a Report and Summary of the recommendations for the Eureka! Trust to submit to key affected parties.

Feedback

There was agreement that agriculture is not currently in balance, and therefore its future is a major challenge. There was a sense that the forces acting on farmers are largely economic, and that the way agriculture is practiced currently is dominated by profitability and productivity, while environmental and social factors don’t yet carry equivalent weight.

It was also agreed that primary production is part of New Zealand’s cultural identity and that it should remain so. Most specific suggestions were about how to make a shift towards more sustainable agriculture – or other uses of land and marine resources – for the people who draw their livelihood from it as well as all of us, as we depend on the primary production sector in one way or another. With primary production (including fisheries) making a significant contribution to GDP, participants saw the main challenge as increasing production while at the same time decreasing environmental impacts.

DOWNLOAD - FULL REPORT

Summary of Recommendations

Economy

Many recommendations focused on how farmers could either increase their yields without causing more damage to the environment, shift production to higher-value products to sell to elite markets, or transition to other types of landuse without losing out financially.

Technology

There was agreement that science, technology and innovation will be required for making current agricultural methods more sustainable as well as to explore new types of landuse or marine resources. Areas of focus:

• Greenhouse gas emissions

• Alternative sources of protein

• Waste treatment

Education

Participants stressed that education and communication are crucial tools for a transition to a more sustainable agriculture. Listening to a much wider community and to bring different groups together – from farmers to private sector to citizen science groups and matauranga Māori

Societal change

Participants felt that changes in consumer behaviour will drive some of the necessary changes in agriculture.

Impact of recommendations

Participants were asked to consider how any of their recommendations would impact on the primary production sector. Some of the suggested changes went beyond adjusting current practice and called for a more radical reset.

• Recognition that the primary sector is very different from other industries;

• Individual farms operate within specific conditions, but their product is marketed and sold by corporate organisations;

• Agriculture is an export business and any change needs to happen in a global context;

• Consumers are international, whatever NZ produces has to remain attractive to international markets.

Implementation

Participants came up with a range of initiatives for what the government and the industry itself could do to implement change.

• Regulatory reform – to be more accessible, more willing to take experimental risks in contained environments, test things out rather than shutting the door;

• Increased funding support for innovation as well as subsidies for transition;

• Develop national strategy to coordinate government support;

• Emissions trading scheme to act as an incentive to reduce emissions from agriculture;

• Develop auditable farm systems and a certification process;

• Protect IP in green tech;

• Set target for 100% renewable energy, electric road transport;

• Support mental health of farmers;

• Reduce food waste from supermarkets and other food producers;

• Legislate for environmental stewardship;

• Invest in training, upskilling;