View Our Strategy Document 2019 – 2024
August 30, 2024
Food, Farming & Freshwater Roadshow
Local scenarios with practical applications.
The team from Our Land and Water National Science Challenge bring to you a range of speakers to present practical science research for farmers.
You are invited to join these informative days looking at the role of rural communities in the sustainable future of our primary sector and explore local scenarios with practical applications you can use in your everyday work. These events offer an opportunity to delve into independent research discoveries and engage in thought-provoking discussions. Leading independent researchers will each give a brief outlook of opportunities, some threats, and current (and future) signals in our markets.
Keep an eye out for open registrations at the following Rural Community Roadshow and Rural Professional Roadshow events.
Upcoming Roadshows
Northland 18 June - Roadshow
Time: 10.00am - 1.30pm
Venue: Mata Hall (Corner of Salmon Road and State Highway 1)
Partners: MPI On Farm Support
Speakers:
Revitalisng Te Taiao - Simon Stokes, Simon Stokes Consulting
Looking at principles for land-use change that enable agribusinesses, mana whenua, farmers, growers, and communities to take collective responsibility for revitalising te Taiao. While an individual pilot can be incredibly successful in a particular context, location, space, and time, this does not mean it will necessarily be successful at a broader scale or over the long term. This research had pilots in three locations, working alongside agribusinesses and communities to progress land-use opportunities, work with value chains and connect with markets to revitalise te Taiao.
Healthy Estuaries Drew Lohrer, NIWA
The health and functioning of estuaries are affected by contaminants from freshwater. A two-year project on 12 estuaries (including Northland sites) looked at loads historically, now, and under a changing climate to give the ability to determine potential nutrient thresholds which take into account cumulative effects, mātauranga Māori, and locally informed objectives. The research addresses needs for guidance in developing coastal environmental plans.
Supporting Land Use Adaptation for a Climate Changed Future Richard Fitzgerald, Kedron Consulting
This project explored the influences on farmers' openness to consider and knowledgeably act on climate change impacts, and identify any barriers, gaps or constraints that limit farmers from exploring land use options suitable for a changing climate. How to address constraints and provide insights into what may limit farmer adaptation to climate change.
Land Use Opportunities, Simon Harris. Land and Water People
Information about the land use suitability and production potential of a wide variety of crops became much easier to find, with the launch of the Data Supermarket. The Data Supermarket is a new online storehouse of data about the ingredients, food and fibre we can grow in New Zealand, now and in the future. It includes information about a wide variety of vegetable, fruit, arable, animal, plant and tree crops, plus climate and economic data.
Solar energy integration with livestock farming – Anna Vaughan, Anna Vaughan, and Associates
The opportunities for integrating solar with more traditional farming are usually presented from the viewpoint of how farming might complement an energy business, such as by reducing the need for mowing, rather than how an energy enterprise might complement an established farming business. This project aims to establish how solar arrays could be incorporated into livestock farms.
Current Water State – Jenny Webster-Brown, Our Land and Water National Science Challenge
An informative look at research that has evaluated the current state of four contaminants (nitrogen, phosphorus, Escherichia coli, and sediment) in rivers, lakes, and estuaries across Aotearoa New Zealand. This was the first assessment of the current state compared to ‘bottom lines’ for all four contaminants across the whole country. What were the key points and what does this mean and what can be done going forward?
RSVP: Northland Roadshow
Southland, Otautau 20 June - Roadshow
Time: 12pm - 4.30pm (Doors open from 11.30am)
Venue: Connect Centre 134 Main Street, Otautau 9610
Partners: ACE (Aparima Community Environment) & Thriving Southland
Speakers:
Protein Future Scenarios - Jon Manhire, The Agribusiness Group
Increasing global interest and demand for alternative or plant-based protein has many implications for New Zealand. These may be positive, such as a potential decrease in emissions of GHGs and nutrient runoff, or the establishment of new markets for new products. They may also be negative, such as disruption to the economics of milk and meat products. This research looks at how New Zealand can more effectively respond to the impacts and opportunities associated with the growth in demand and production of new proteins.
Synthesis Situations for Future Land Use– Lee Matheson, Perrin Ag
Land stewards need evidence to support suggestions that changing their farming system will lead to improvements in local waterways that are in proportion to their investment in land- use change. They are generally open to change regarding ongoing mitigations and land use diversification, however there are some barriers that farmers indicated require a viable solution before some water quality actions are adopted.
Cumulative impact of land-use diversification – Harry Millar, Rural Consulting
This project concentrated on the unique opportunity to assess three separate farm businesses and the proposed changes to their systems, illustrating the environmental impacts and economic considerations of each. With relevance to farm systems throughout New Zealand, the project also attempts to quantify the potential benefits of working collectively within a catchment to address freshwater quality, utilizing solutions which are tailored to the capability of individuals and their farms inherent natural features.
Retiring Farmland into Ngahere – John Burke, Pukekauri Farms
Restoring erodible land in New Zealand into native forests can be a challenging and costly process, limiting private landowners’ participation in large-scale projects. However, there is a promising solution – the Tīmata Method. This method has been proven to be more effective and significantly cheaper than conventional methods, reducing the cost of establishing native trees to less than one-third of traditional ‘high-density’/’highgrade’ native planting.
Incentives for Change – Bill Kaye-Blake
We use our land and water to produce products with high value to consumers. How can we capture more of this value, and share it with our farmers and growers? Can we create environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits for all New Zealanders, build trust with domestic and international consumers, and reward primary producers? New value chains are distributing more value from consumers to producers, and more agribusinesses are using metrics that reward land practices that increase environmental, social, cultural and economic wellbeing.