Announcing the Our Land and Water Podcast Series

Our Land and Water introduces insights from eight years of science in this podcast series. In each episode you will hear from the scientists and researchers who were tasked with developing practical tools and resources to help Kiwi farmers decide how to add diversity, increase resilience and tackle environmental challenges for their farms, catchments and communities.

The audio comes from a symposium held over two days in May 2024, and guiding you through the episodes are your hosts Dr Jenny Webster-Brown, director, and Annabel McAleer, communications manager of the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge.

For those who attended the symposium, you may still hear something new – the podcasts include audio recorded from break-out sessions that weren't videoed or live-streamed.

Episode 1: How bad is our water quality, really?

For the past eight years, Our Land and Water has funded research with the goal of improving the health of our rivers and lakes here in Aotearoa. To do that, we needed more information about the state of our waterways. We determined which of our catchments are most vulnerable to contamination and why, what their pressures are, and where pressure can be removed through better farm management.

The challenge to improve our freshwater is bigger and more complicated than we thought in 2016. We know a lot more about how bad things, are and will get under climate change. In this episode, we’ll hear about the size of the gap between the current state of our freshwater and our expectations.

Speakers: Rich McDowell (AgResearch/Lincoln University), Ton Sneldar (LWP)

More information:

• Research Findings Brief: Current state of water contaminants compared to bottom lines
• How Far Have We Come?
• What Has Worked and What needs to Change?
• Where Land-Use Change is Needed – A Deeper Dive
• Practical Tools and Approaches to Begin Navigating Land-Use Change

Episode 2: What is driving the pace of change?

We hear a lot about national regulations that are driving change on farms to improve water quality and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But the drivers for change are also coming from much further away.

In this episode, we hear about the influence of international trade deals and expectations of governments and consumers in Europe, which tends to lead and influence public opinion in other markets. We’ll also hear about technology as a driver for change, and the possible impact of alternative proteins on New Zealand’s dairy sector. Consumer demand for non-animal and low-footprint protein is also likely to drive change, and we’ll hear about the exciting potential of producing protein from pasture.

Speakers: Tiffany Tompkins (Organics Association of NZ), Jon Manhire (The Agribusiness Group), Chris Lewis (BakerAg)

More information:

• The Context For Change
• OANZ Webinar: EU Green Deal Impact on NZ’s Land-based Primary Producers
• How, Where and Why Alternative Proteins Will Change Farming in New Zealand
• Beyond meat and milk
• Pasture for Humans

Episode 3: What else can we grow here – and where?

Researchers in Our Land and Water have catalogued a wide range of land-use opportunities for Aotearoa that expand the possibilities you might have previously considered for the future of your land. They’ve gathered all the robust information that was available about those land use options, and made it free to access, to inform financially sound land-use decisions.

This episode looks at different aspects of how and where we could change land use in New Zealand.

Speakers: Rich McDowell (AgResearch/Lincoln University), Linda Lilburne (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research), Kenny Bell (Scarlatti)

More information:

• Practical Tools and Approaches to Begin Navigating Land-Use Change
• Where Land-Use Change is Needed – A Deeper Dive
• Data Supermarket
• Worker Requirements by Land Use
• Growing for Good: A ‘Win-Win-Win’ Plan for Future Food Production

Episode 4: How do we add diversity on farm?

One of the main findings from Our Land and Water is that we now know where mitigation strategies won’t be enough, and land use needs to change to meet New Zealanders’ expectations for water quality. 

This episode focuses on how we can add more diversity on individual farms – not just what else we can grow, but how we can grow a more diverse mix of products on a small scale. This can add resilience to our changing climate and to the volatility of commodity prices, and we’ve tested some good approaches for connecting farmers to consider diversification options. However, the scale of change required to meet our water quality ambitions poses a huge challenge in some parts of New Zealand.

Speakers: Lee Matheson (PerrinAg), Erin Harvie (Waimakariri Landcare Trust), Tanira Kingi (Climate Change Commission), John Burke (Pukekauri Farm) 

More information:

• Are Mosaics Of Land Use Really a Solution?
• Land Use Options in Waimakariri
• Synthesis Scenarios for Future Land Use

Episode 5: How do we pay for change?

We’ve heard in previous episodes that in parts of New Zealand we’ll need some land-use change to reach the water quality we want for our rivers and lakes, but paying for this change is a huge challenge. The scale of change is large, and many farms don’t have the funds – so if our society wants this change, how does society pay?

In this episode, we’ll hear about the most developed solution to help farmers pay for change: increase the value of the food we export by making farm management decisions that produce environmentally friendly products that fetch a premium price overseas. We’ll also hear some edgier ideas for funding change, like biodiversity incentives, and how collectives of farmers can grow value together.

Speakers: Caroline Saunders (AERU, Lincoln University), James Turner (AgResearch), Carla Muller (PerrinAg)

More information:

• Incentivising and Rewarding Change
• The Value Project
• Revitalise Te Taiao
• Novel financing solutions for land use change infographic
• ‘Increasing value’ resources

Episode 6: We can make progress – but we need to work together

Local community involvement is one of the keys to the long-term health of our rivers and lakes, and communities like catchment groups can play a major role in land-use transitions. Over eight years of research, we’ve learned about the support catchment groups need to meet both their own goals and the expectations their funders have of them.

In this episode, we hear how catchment groups are connecting and leading local initiatives that support landowners to investigate new opportunities and adopt change together.

Speakers: Bridget Jonker (NZ Landcare Trust), Ed Challies (University of Canterbury), Claudia Lyons (Scarlatti), Katie Owen (Ministry for the Environment), Geoff Simmons (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment), Alison Dewes (Tipu Whenua), Mandy Bell (Wai Wānaka)

More information:

• Catchment Group of Potential and Ways of Working
• Panel on Catchment Groups Reveals a Key Tension
• Research into Action
• Practical Tools and Approaches to Begin Navigating Land-Use Change
• Tīmata Method video and factsheet
• Going with the grain: Changing land uses to fit a changing landscape

Episode 7: How Māori agribusiness appoaches could lead the way

Māori ways of thinking about land and water offer insights into ways of growing food that are more resilient, healthy and prosperous.

In this episode we’ll hear about some ways the systems-thinking, holistic approaches to farming in te ao Māori have been demonstrated to enable effective local solutions, leading the way for others. We’ll hear about the leadership being shown by Māori agribusinesses and how those businesses are influencing the future of our primary sector.

Speakers: Kemp Reweti (Pūhoro STEMM Academy), Tina Porou (Poipoia), John Reid (Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga), Tanira Kingi (Climate Change Commission)

More information:

• Future Leaders
• How Do We Create Change in Aotearoa?
• Implementing Te Mana o Te Wai
• Pūhoro STEMM Academy
• Guidelines for the use of Pohewa Pae Tawhiti to support decisions around changes in land use

Episode 8: How do we feed Kiwi families and communities?

We grow more food than we need in Aotearoa and yet many people are going hungry. So how do we connect production and distribution to make sure we look after all our people?

In this episode we hear about projects that looked at reconnecting people with the source of their food, through initiatives like school meal programmes and re-establishing thriving marae gardens. We’ll hear that being connected to culturally meaningful foods – from growing, through to cooking and preserving – can help rebuild cultural identity and wellbeing, and provide food resilience for the wider community.

Speakers: Tanira Kingi (Climate Change Commission), Paul Voigt (Nikau Pacific Group), Derrylea Hardy (Massey University), Daniel Morrimire (Manawatū Food Action Network)

More information:

• Providing Healthy Food for Children in Schools in Aotearoa: Factsheet
• Pā to Plate Grower’s Guide