View Our Strategy Document 2019 – 2024
September 22, 2023
Enhancing Assurance Schemes
The role of assurance in enhancing social licence to operate
Project Details Ngā taipitopito
Project Status:
CompletedChallenge funding:
$129,790Research duration:
July 2022 - March 2023Collaborators Ngā haumi
Synlait | The AgriBusiness Group | University Of Canterbury
What are we doing?E aha ana mātou?
Farm certification schemes are an important way to build social licence to operate, address market and regulatory concerns, provide greater transparency, and incorporate cultural values into practices.
Many of these assurance systems and other monitoring mechanisms are well established – but are being challenged by increasing demands of urban communities for transparency in farming and rapid development of technology driven monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
This project will develop recommendations to enhance assurance programmes, including how they can be used more effectively to build trust between farmers and communities. The work will also consider the need for continuous improvement, and how Māori perspectives, insights and cultural attributes could be incorporated into assurance processes.
How can the research be used? Ka pēhea e whai take ai te rangahau?
- This project will produce a white paper outlining a pathway to enhance assurance systems to increase their potential to build and maintain social licence to operate in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Tailored recommendations will be developed for the enhancement of the Synlait Lead with Pride assurance programme, and MFE/MPI Freshwater Farm Plans, providing direct benefits to the operation and impact of these programmes.
- The research will also provide tailored recommendations for Māori enterprises and assurance providers that are guided by tauutuutu ethics in terms of transparent monitoring reporting, across taiao, oranga, and whai rawa dimensions.
- Insights from the research will support the building of trust between farmers and communities, and clarify possible complementary strategies to build social licence to operate, such as farm open days and community-supported agriculture.
Related research updates Ngā pānui mō te rangahau nei
Research team Te hunga i whai wāhi mai
Project Co-Lead
Pavel Castka
University of Canterbury
Project Co-Lead
Jon Manhire
The Agribusiness Group
Te Ao Māori Lead
John Reid
University of Canterbury
Corey Ruha
Te Arawa, Tūwharetoa, Raukawa
Independent researcher
Tools & resources Ngā utauta me ngā rauemi
Technical Report
Enhancing Farm Assurance – A White Paper
Assurance systems are one of the cornerstones of the New Zealand economy and agribusinesses – ensuring compliance with regulations, enabling international trade, ensuring safety of…
Related news
Pathways to Transition Projects
Rural Professionals Fund 2020–21
There were 15 successful projects in the first funding round for the Our Land and Water Rural Professionals Fund.
Rural Professionals Fund 2021–22
There were 12 successful projects in the second funding round for the Our Land and Water Rural Professionals Fund.
Implementing Te Mana o Te Wai
Supporting iwi, hapū, water users, and decision-makers to understand and implement policy that prioritises Te Mana o te Wai
Revitalise Te Taiao
Place-based research to develop evidence-based examples of how agribusinesses and communities can make enduring changes in land use, management, value chains, and market focus to…
Pūhoro STEMM Academy
Our Land and Water is a primary sponsor of the Pūhoro STEMM Academy, a mentoring and support programme for Māori high school students.
Next Generation Influencers
This was a one-year programme to develop the capability of influential, innovative future leaders.