2026 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholarship. Apply by 17 August 2025. Read More...

Apply for 2026 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholarship by 17 August 2025. More details...

Kellogg Scholar Reports

A health check of women in the Kiwifruit workforce.

Yvette Jones Kellogg report
Yvette Jones Kellogg report

Executive summary

The Women in Kiwifruit group has a goal of inspiring, connecting and elevating women in the Kiwifruit Industry. To understand the current status of the representation of women in the Kiwifruit industry this report was conducted. It aimed to answer if women are well represented across the Kiwifruit workforce (paddock to plate) through completing a ‘health check’.

A literature review identifying documented benefits and barriers of women in the workplace and the greater themes of diversity and business culture. A diverse workforce is not a nice to have, it is morally, ethically, social and financially beneficial business decision. Women contribute to increased levels of innovation, and better risk management.

A series of semi structured interviews were completed with a variety of Kiwifruit industry leaders, followed by a thematic analysis highlighting common themes. A lack of women was identified across senior leadership levels and certain roles like grower services and orchard management.

Although it was highlighted that the industry has greatly improved as it has grown, common barriers for women succeeding in the Kiwifruit industry were unconscious bias, lack of flexible working conditions and business culture. All leaders highlight great opportunities for change if a team or manager had a mind-set attuned for embracing change, or who personally valued diversity.

When a statistical analysis was completed on employment data from a Kiwifruit postharvest organisation it showed that although on average women were well represented there was an imbalance across roles identified by industry leaders. More women were employed in Admin, HR, Finance and Quality roles and less in Grower Services, Orchard, Senior Leadership and Forklift positions. As levels of leadership were increased fewer women were seen due to a varieties of internal and external factors.

Recommendations to address the imbalance of women across the increase include collecting more data and monitoring to provide analytical metrics and reduce speculation. Being bold with leadership decisions to create change and expect change from the team around you.

Encourage women to support women through connection and mentoring. Cultivate diversity values from the bottom up and top down across the industry. Adopt fit for purpose business cultures that values diversity and people. 
 

Opportunities to improve efficiency in the fresh produce supply chain.

Marcus Tietjen Kellogg report
Marcus Tietjen Kellogg report

Executive summary

The fresh produce sector in New Zealand produces some of the world’s greatest fruit and vegetables. There is a complex all-encompassing machine that connects the farms these products are grown on to the final consumer. This machine is the Fresh Produce Supply Chain (FPSC).

New Zealanders enjoy an excellent range of fresh fruit and vegetables that can be purchased through a variety of sales channels. The most dominant and effective channel is through supermarkets which have access to supply via fresh produce marketers and growers directly. These suppliers provide
fresh produce of good quality, at scale consistently and at a reasonable price throughout the year to meet the tastes and preferences of consumers.

This project has been completed to further understand the FPSC and seek efficiencies that can be made that reduce volatility in supply, reduce food waste and reduce the margin between what the consumer pays, and grower receives.

We aim to answer three key questions being: what are the challenges for the current fresh produce supply chain from the farm gate in New Zealand? What technology and supply chains exist today outside of fresh produce? And does a different, more efficient system fit in today’s fresh produce supply chain and would this be accepted by industry stakeholders?

The key findings were growers in NZ are aligning themselves with retailers and marketers in partnership style relationships. Growers with smaller scale struggle to compete in fragmented industries where information is less available and less direct from the consumer.

Over time there has been a shift in the paradigm from growing for the market floor auctions, to growing for consumer demand based on high information sharing from retailers and marketers. This has resulted in a more deliberate crop rotation and sustainable growing system, reducing wasted product and improving price stability.

Technology in FPSC has huge potential however supply chain participants are cautious and considerate on technology they invest in. Blockchain technology can support efficiencies by reducing reliance on trust on intermediaries. The internet of things can provide an interface between supply chain practice and software systems. This can log important information which can give retailers and consumers confidence in quality of product and appropriate handling.

Consolidation of fragmented industries will support greater efficiencies as grower scale increases and vertically integrate to control more downstream practices. We also see intermediaries investing in upstream practices such as farms and greenhouses.

Recommendations are summarised as follows:

  • Encourage vertical integration where supply chains are owned or controlled between grower and retailer. For growers that have the scale and access to capital they should build partnerships with retail entities and invest in infrastructure to reduce reliance on other supply chain participants.

  • Cooperate within sector to vertically integrate if scale is not achievable. This can be done by the establishment of regional cooperative organisations to allow smaller scale growers to pool resources, invest in infrastructure and supply direct to retailers.

  • Increase communication between FPSC participants with accurate data in fragmented product categories to share accurate crop details.

  • Drive increased consumer awareness of imported vs local produce with signage andbranding that clearly differentiates products.

  • Encourage investment in internet of things and Blockchain technology for import product to reduce volume of poor-quality import product brought to NZ consumers.

Early Implementation and the Future of Individual Cow Monitoring Technology in the New Zealand Dairy Industry.

Cameron Burton Kellogg report
Cameron Burton Kellogg report

Executive summary

The New Zealand dairy industry has a labour shortage from managers to farm assistants. This has pushed producers to look for automation options to reduce dependency on labour.

Recent and ongoing improvements have produced large-scale, commercially viable individual cow monitoring technologies that can significantly reduce the workload on farms as well as increase animal performance and health measures. Suppliers of these technologies report a positive return on investment and a reduction in labour
requirements.

The industry has seen significant growth in the uptake and implementation
of these technologies over the last 2-3 years. Implementation of emerging technologies is not always successful; challenges and limitations will exist in a commercial context that are not foreseen during the development or in early trials.
This report will explore the intended application for these technologies and how this
compares with current uptake and implementation at scale on commercial dairy farms.

It will explore areas of successful implementation and areas where obstacles have
reduced performance or prevented the technology to be utilised as expected. Current
and prospective users of the technology need to understand how different technologies in the market are likely to be implemented on their farms. This will help to make informed decisions around which technologies will achieve a more desirable outcome over the long term.

This report will help the suppliers and developers of individual cow monitoring technologies identify areas where their products are not being successfully implemented, and areas for further development to ensure the success of their technology in the New Zealand dairy industry.


A review of national and international literature was undertaken to confirm the accuracy and reliability of the technologies available to ensure they would improve or exceed the status quo of our performance in the New Zealand dairy industry. The review examined the commercial viability of these products and looked to the future of the development and application of individual cow monitoring technologies.

Qualitative, semi-structured interviews then took place with suppliers of the technologies, users, and non-users. Uptake, success and failure, and future development of the technology were examined.

Key Findings

  • The technology is highly accurate and viable for a profitable outcome in a
    commercial large-scale context.
  • All users agreed that the initial application has been successful and the return on investment has been neutral or positive.
  • There is potential for greater return on investment from ongoing training and
    implementation of the full complement of features the technology has to offer.
  • Challenges exist with the usability of the software and the sensitivity of health alerts specific to New Zealand’s outdoor grazing systems.

Recommendations

Producers

  • Develop a user-friendly interface as fast as possible, and regularly connect with users for improvements and future development.
  • Reduce the sensitivity of health alerts and integrate on-farm weather conditions with health alerts to limit false positives from weather events.
  • Ensure recruitment and the training of support staff can meet customer requirements as uptake increases. New support staff could double as sales staff to allow for early recruitment.
  • Outsource and fund third parties for technical support. Farm consultants, vets, farm advisors, and other rural professionals could be used to help educate and review the data.
  • Produce actionable reports/groups of cows from the data to minimise the interpretation and increase action taken on the farm. 

Current and future consumers

  • Prior to implementing any brand of individual cow monitoring technology, research the current and future access to after-sales support and technical specialists to ensure you will have ongoing support. Pay particular attention to your exposure to individual staff moving out of the role and limiting the technical support available.
  • Be prepared to put the time and effort into learning and understanding the software as there is an interpretation of raw data required.
  • Ensure the technology you implement is largely mainstream to ensure support from other users and increase the chances of new employees being familiar with the software.
  • Work with vets and advisors to create protocols and policies to shift from clinical diagnosis to subclinical investigation and diagnosis before clinical illness impacts production and profitability.

Capturing value on-farm.

Megan Fitzgerald Kellogg Research Report
Megan Fitzgerald Kellogg Research Report

Executive summary

More consumers are seeking food products that have credence attributes, such as improved animal welfare outcomes, lower environmental impact, and positive social impacts. Credence attributes cannot be seen or tasted, consumers only know they are being met by information being passed from producer, through the supply chain to them.

Commodity supply chains struggle to pass on accurate, complex information, leaving consumers who are seeking these attributes looking to buy their food through other outlets. Savarese et al., (2020) identified a real opportunity for New Zealand farmers if they are able to connect to these market segments. This research identifies the key requirements a family farm must have to successfully establish and maintain a short value chain.

Coinciding with the growing consumer market, is a risker macro-economic environment where farmers are subjected to tighter margins on commodity markets. Short value chains present opportunities to diversify risk through accessing alternative markets, equity growth without a dependence on acquiring more land, and a way to include more family members in the family farming business.


This research uses semi structured interviews to collect information from family farm businesses who are selling food products directly to consumers. A thematic analysis is carried out to identify the key requirements to consider when establishing a short value chain.

Establishing and sustaining a short value chain is a cyclic process that needs constant realignment between the resources the farm business has and the demands of the customer segment. Farm businesses must have the desire to connect to consumers and the ability to identify opportunities that allow them to connect with consumers in a cost-efficient way.

Success relies on mobilising the businesses resources and establishing a production system that creates a constant supply of quality product. Finally, the business must continually seek opportunities to realign with changing consumer demands and maintain their competitive advantage – which comes back to identifying opportunities.

The defining characteristics of family farm businesses who participate in short value chains is their ability to create and sustain consumer trust. This trust results in consumers who are willing to pay more for their product.

From the analysis of successful short value chains in New Zealand there are a number of recommendations for family farm business wishing to establish and participate in a short value chain.

The key recommendations are to 

  1. establish your family values and align these to customer segments to decrease costs associated with mobilising resources,

  2. spend time creating a production system that produces consistent, quality products that your consumer wants,

  3. connect with your consumers, provide transparency on product details through face-to-face and more permanent marketing such as websites, social media, etc., and

  4. constantly seek feedback and opportunities to better meet your consumer’s needs.

Barriers to Genetic Potential Through Sire Selection in New Zealand Sheep Farms

Executive summary

Agriculture contributes to 50% of New Zealand’s gross greenhouse gas emissions, an industry that is largely dominated by ruminants producing methane (Ministry for the Environment, 2022).

The Climate Change Response Act 2002 has set a target to reduce biogenic methane emissions to 24–47 per cent below 2017 levels by 2050. Therefore, the reduction of methane emissions from livestock is of significant environmental and economic importance.

It has been demonstrated that there is repeatable, individual variation in the methane emissions of sheep and that part of that variation is genetically heritable. There is now a breeding value that allows commercial farmers to rank, select and purchase lower methane emitting sires. This is currently the only tangible and proven mitigation farmers can start implementing on their farms right now.

In a time where our consumers are more discerning than ever before about how their food is produced, it is vital that commercial farmers utilise resources and technologies wherever possible to further our competitive advantage through sustainable practices.

However – regardless of personal views on climate change or political policies – do commercial farmers have the capacity and capability to understand the opportunity that these low methane-emitting genetics bring?

This research focuses on understanding the barriers to genetic potential through sire selection on New Zealand sheep farms.

To gather information on the barriers for farmers in relation to breeding decisions a literature review was undertaken to understand the gap in knowledge of farmers with regards to genetics, along with establishing factors in commercial farmer behavioural change and understanding of complex decision-making in relation to animal breeding decisions.
This was followed by an unstructured interview process with four farmers from three different farming enterprises, to establish a journey map to understand each farmer’s experiences, by creating a map of their interactions with sire selection. Farmers were selected to represent different types of farming enterprises and perspectives within the sector.

This process also helped to establish a picture of their current level of understanding, perceptions and preferences in genetic decision-making and identification of barriers to genetic potential through sire selection within the farm systems.

Key Findings

Given the significant advances in genetic and recording technologies over the past 20-30 years, it could be assumed that sire selection decisions should have become simpler. However, though these technological advances may provide more information, the complexity and scope of the information may also overwhelm farmers.

Martin-Collado, et al. (2018) describes that when people are faced with complex decisions and/or are exposed to information overload, this leads to either impulsive often suboptimal decision-making or they use simplification strategies (i.e. heuristics).
In terms of effecting meaningful change through genetic decision-making, the ability to effectively compare a farmer’s system with that of others appears to be an instigator to change.

There is a significant educational role to fill with regard to sire selection and genetic decision-making. Whilst we have sheep which are genetically lower methane emitting or significantly more tolerant to facial eczema available for purchase now, there is much to be done to assist the commercial farmer to realise the opportunities available to them when it comes to genetics.

Recommendations

Beef + Lamb NZ should aim to develop a number of tools and resources aimed towards genetics education and extension for both commercial farmers and breeders.

The development of these tools and resources should:

  • consider the individualism of farmers and their systems, the behaviour of change and complex decision heuristics,

  • be developed in collaboration with subject matter experts and farmers to be relatable for the intended audience,

  • share the success stories of farmers who have successfully harnessed the opportunity of genetics,

  • be created for a range of delivery mechanisms to cover a range of learning styles.

    • These should be developed in collaboration with industry partners to facilitate the uptake of these resources by these parties to assist in the dissemination and delivery of the resources.

Organic, Regenerative and Sustainable.

Executive summary

To answer the question, this report considers if these methods can be defined, it explores the main principles and drivers based on a comprehensive literature review; the baseline is conventional farming, and the research shows sustainable farming is usually regenerative and organic and often conventional.

Organic, regenerative, and sustainable are all buzz words; they are methods of farming, growing, and processing; also used in marketing for recognition and financial advantage. This report found that a farmer may align their identity with their chosen method and a consumer’s decision to purchase may be based on their understanding of these terms and an alignment of their values, particularly where there is a premium paid. This report found consumers use the terms loosely and the complexities of farming methods are not understood by non-farmers.

There are no definitive definitions of organic, regenerative agriculture (RA), sustainable or conventional farming in New Zealand (NZ). Each method is guided by principles, and the report finds there are few differences between these, and this means that farmers can use principles from any method. Sustainable practices guide each of the methods and much conventional farming.

NZ farming already has a clean green advantage, and many farmers are leaders in best practice which can be explored further. This report considers the new term, regenerative organic and found its meaning and the relationship with organic farming is not yet established in NZ.

The quick and simple answer is yes, a farmer may be across all these methods, but if claiming to be organic, must be certified.

Organics has had enormous success in becoming well established with stable export markets; legislation is imminent providing credibility and consumer protection; it is odd that organics received little mention in the RA research projects or in strategic planning for the food and fibre sector. It is unclear where it fits into the bigger picture for food and fibre.

Progress on RA is at an impasse waiting for industry and or government leadership; however, the journey has started, and recent announcements of research projects will provide much needed evidence and guidance on the extent that existing farm methods are already aligned with RA.

Some leading NZ scientists claim this task has already been done and there is nothing more to be gained. If RA is to gain traction, time is of the essence. NZ needs a strategy, purpose, and an agreed direction. There is an opportunity for NZ to lead the direction of RA.

The report briefly considers if there is a premium to be gained from these farming methods and how this is reflected in the export markets. This matters for NZ because, “our economic security depends on the primary sector, which this year earned us a record $53.3bn in exports” announced Minister Damien O’Connor1. In July 2022, red meat sales reached $1.1 billion according to the Meat Industry Association (Red meat exports reach $1.1b., 2022), NZ needs to continue to add value to its exports, rather than rely on volume of production by identifying its advantage, guaranteeing the quality of its farming systems, and marketing its story.


The food and fibre sector must act quickly, otherwise another nation will lead in regenerative and sustainable farming and the potential market advantage to NZ is lost.

Recommendations

The project provided clarity that there needs to be a collaborative way forward, the following actions are recommended to achieve a unified direction:

Strategy to establish the role and future of New Zealand farming methods

  • The Government to facilitate a collaborative effort from industry organisations, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and research organisations to establish a representative leadership group (the Group).

  • The Group to deliver a Strategy for organic, regenerative, and sustainable farming for the short and long term; this should align with, other sector specific strategies and address sustainable practices across New Zealand farming.

Research

  • The Group should develop a methodology across all farming systems linking production, product quality, livestock, health, and well-being, adopt a holistic view, including evaluation of environmental, social and health impacts. This work must align with existing research programmes.

  • The Group will distinguish between organic and regenerative farming, address the meaning of organic regenerative and sustainable, and include the outcomes in the overarching strategy.

Trade and Export

  • The Group will develop the New Zealand story for consumers, investigate new markets, grow existing ones, and optimise what New Zealand does well.

Māori in Governance of Agricultural Co-operatives in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Executive summary

Māori are significant and substantial long-term participants in the primary sector of Aotearoa New Zealand.

They are kaitiaki of significant tracts of land for future generations, just as previous generations were kaitiaki for them. This concept of stakeholders’ past and stakeholders’ future links Māori to the whenua through whakapapa and means that they will never sell their land assets.

The Māori economic engine is significant in terms of both asset holding and in generating activity for the economy of Aotearoa New Zealand. Despite this Māori have almost no presence in the governance of the Agricultural cooperatives, despite these being businesses that they are significant suppliers and customers of and hold equity in.

The purpose of this report is to understand the reasons behind this, identify ways to re-engage Māori at governance levels with the cooperatives and understand the benefits and costs to each from doing so.

The methodology used within this report included literature reviews of Māori economic performance and how contemporary corporate governance models fail to meet the needs of Māori governance.

In the context of this research topic, it is important to determine the contribution made by Māori to the economic activity of Aotearoa New Zealand generally and to the primary sector specifically as this project investigates the premise that it is reasonable to achieve representation if there is a contribution.

The review of Māori governance included discussion around the kaupapa and tikanga that provide a framework to Te Ao Māori and how this influences the decision-making of Māori governance entities.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Māori governors including participants in cooperative director elections. These were conducted to understand the view of Māori who had experience with governance in both Māori and non-Māori entities and in a cooperative election process.

The answers were then critically analysed with themes developing from the analysis.

A structured survey was supplied to members of Cooperative Business New Zealand. It was important to assess the view held by cooperatives around levels of Māori engagement at a governance level.

These were analysed with themes developing from the analysis.

The results from the structured survey and the semi-structured interviews were then analysed together to identify areas of commonality or divergence.

KEY FINDINGS

MĀORI MAKE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PRIMARY SECTOR AND AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND

The scale of Te Ohanga Māori (The Māori Economy) is significant, contributing 6.5% of the GDP of Aotearoa New Zealand in 2018. This is on par with the primary sector which also contributed 6.5% of the 2018 GDP with Māori contributing NZD 2.700 billion dollars (or 14%) to the primary sector GDP.

Further in 2017 10% of dairy production and 30% of meat and fibre production were sourced from assets owned by Māori.

These statistics are important as they prove that Māori is significant contributors to the economy and primary sector of this country. The lack of Māori representation in cooperative governance seems incongruent with the level of contribution made by Māori.

MĀORI HAVE LOW TRUST IN COOPERATIVES AND ELECTIONS

Lack of engagement by Māori with the cooperatives appears to be seated in a level of distrust by Māori in the cooperatives (although the Institution of the Cooperative may be acting as a proxy for its Pākeha shareholding base) This is a result of (real or perceived) racial bias over time with a
general feeling in the interviews with Māori agribusiness leaders that the cooperatives are Pākehacentric institutions with a low understanding of the needs of Māori.

There was a general feeling that the Māori would struggle in an election process as the Pākeha majority would favour other Pākeha over Māori no matter the skills Māori may offer.

COOPERATIVES RECOGNISE THAT MĀORI ARE  UNDERREPRESENTED IN GOVERNANCE

Cooperatives are generally aware that their existing governance fails to adequately represent the contribution made by their Māori stakeholders to their businesses.

They generally believe it is important that there is Māori representation in their governance bodies, however, the responses indicate that no cooperative has established a strategy to change this.

OPPORTUNITY EXISTS FOR BOTH PARTIES IF RELATIONSHIPS CAN BE STRENGTHENED

  • For the cooperatives, the opportunities are twofold:

    Operationally they partner with Māori to secure long-term multigeneration supply relationships at a time when production is falling in response to climate change initiatives and land use change.

    Strategically they gain insight into what appears to be a shift away from laissez-faire and liberal market theory to a growing ESG investment paradigm that is more rooted in equitable returns to social and natural capital as well as real (economic) capital. This is due to ESG concepts largely mirroring the pou or drivers of Māori governance models.

  • For Māori, the opportunity lies in attaining influence in an industry they already participate in and in a business in which they may already hold equity.

    Influence is important to ensure that Māori maintains a level of control over the use of Tikanga, Kaupapa, Te Reo, and Matauranga Māori – those things that make Māori unique in the world and are effectively the Intellectual Property of Māori.

    Māori are afforded the opportunity to bring Te Ao Māori into the dominant mainstream so that it is valued and practised in an authentic way.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COOPERATIVES

Cooperatives face distinct challenges to overcome the lack of trust that Māori have expressed in the election process and in the cooperatives. This will require rebuilding trust levels and relationships.

  • Decide if the organisation believes the lack of Māori representation is an issue that requires addressing.
  • Develop strategies to effect cultural change so that all shareholders perceive their treatment to be equal with clear and demonstrable intolerance of intolerant.
  • Build manaakitanga with Māori by being institutionally intolerant of any form of racial bias.
  • Organise wananga with Māori stakeholders so they can learn who you are, and you learn who they are.
  • Engage in whakawhanaungatanga. This will facilitate discovery and understanding as the first step in relationship building (whanaungatanga).
  • Learn and understand Te Ao Māori, Mātauranga Māori, Tikanga and Kaupapa – these are the things that will guide relationship building with Māori.
  • Develop methods to provide governance opportunities for Māori within your organisation – training options and assistant/future director opportunities.
  • Use a Māori lens in decision-making – a celebration milestone for Pākeha could have been at the expense of Māori interests for example. This is also important when using taonga in
    commercial ways.
  • Ensure that the cooperatives are not structurally racist – for example, check to see if election rules could exclude Māori from standing in a director election. This is important given the unique nature of some Māori ownership structures.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MĀORI

  • Practice rangatiratanga by using the voting powers that come with ownership.
  • Be open to building whanaungatanga with cooperatives – maintain a focus on attaining influence by taking roles in the governance of these businesses.
  • Show kohtahitanga and manaakitanga by voting for rangatira who stand for election to these boards.
  • Māori voting for Māori in elections dominated by Pākeha demonstrates rangatiratanga.
  • Continue to develop governance skills in Rangitahi.

Owhaoko B&D land block.

Suzanne Hepi Kellogg report image
Suzanne Hepi Kellogg report image

Executive summary

Māori land plays a critical part of Aotearoa and its history. Understanding the dynamics of Māori land ownership and the role they play to ensure their whenua is taking care of, is not as straight forward as people assume.

Māori landlocked land has influenced a change in the Te Ture Whenua Māori Act to lessen multiple barriers for Māori. This research has been conducted through a kaupapa Māori approach, for Māori by Māori.

This case study is concerned with understanding the land block, its isolated location, the barriers of access and how the trust can initiate a sustainable involvement for the owners. The report is based on semi structured interviews and analysis of secondary data.

Purpose

The aim of this report is to discuss the landlock block Owhaoko B & D with trustees and beneficiary owners. Overall, I am gathering data to build an understanding of what is occurring on this land block, trust developments and what the future aspirations could potentially be.

Key Findings

The key findings of this report have been grouped into themes and are a general understanding of the narrative around the story of the land block. It is supported by quotations from interview participants and is raw information that they have voiced.

Recommendations

  • Data – Embark on further research of this land block and internships conducted by beneficiaries or owners of this whenua with support from the trust and tertiary institutions.

  • Transformation – develop and deliver environmental programmes to help educate whānau about the importance of being kaitiaki for the land.

  • Collaboration – form a partnership with a Māori tech and digital business that could showcase the land blocks history and whakapapa digitally, to owners of the land that cannot experience it first-hand.

  • Capability development – Provide opportunities for owners to participate in projects associated on the block such as seed banking, wild game monitoring etc.

  • Leadership – Government to help support a leadership programme that is delivered partially out of the land block, informing this cohort about the change in legislation and how the land can contribute to this.

  • New initiatives – Establish other incentives for owners wanting to visit the block such as high-end accommodation, events, or annual activities etc.

  • Mātauranga Māori – Produce or deliver a wānanga based on traditional Māori practices such as rongoa, identifying native trees, land use etc.

Happy and Healthy at Work.

Executive summary

Labour and its shortage remain a critical issue that needs addressing, with the growth of horticulture predicted, coupled with on-orchard automation look ing closer to 2030. With low unemployment in New Zealand, engaging the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workforce is vital to remaining successful as an industry.

The purpose of this report is to understand and provide recommendations for the key attributes of a successful team within the seasonal RSE workforce, focusing on the kiwifruit industry. The methodology includes a literature review on the characteristics of a seasonal workforce and breaking down what a successful team looks like, followed by semi-structured interviews with ten orchard owners and pastoral care managers to gain insights from their experience with RSE teams. Themes were generated through thematic analysis to provide conclusions and recommendations.

Key findings

A family culture with a village mentality is key to the success of an RSE team and results in a team that is both happy and healthy at work. Team building and a homely living environment add to this. RSE employees’ purpose of making money to send home to their families, needs to be kept front of mind.

The RSE team needs to be well-formed with the right mix of skills, experience, and personalities with a clear and well-understood leadership structure. The team leader must be trusted and respected, creating productivity and success. Peer mentoring also adds to team success with team members supporting and encouraging one another.

The mindset of continuous improvement is essential to the success of the RSE team. Highly engaged RSE employees need development opportunities beyond their day-to-day tasks.

The relationship is symbiotic, with New Zealand employers needing to be willing to learn more about the values and culture of the Pacific Islands. All parties working together need to have a strong cultural understanding of similarities and differences, which improves team performance. Planning for continuity and succession is vital.

Recommendations

The following recommendations are made to orchardists looking to build a successful RSE team:

  • Develop a family culture, cultivating the village mentality. This is developed through having an inclusive living environment and creating a home away from home by their New Zealand employers.

  • Ensure all permanent employees have a good understanding of the similarities and differences of the Pacific Islander culture. This can be developed through developing a cultural training programme for all permanent staff.

  • Ensure RSE employees understand their purpose and motivation for being in New Zealand which is sending money home to their families. Checking in on this regularly to keep them reminded of their purpose is important to retain engagement.

  • Put in place an RSE team leader that is trusted and well-respected.
    • Create a culture of empowerment amongst the team to allow peer mentoring across team members.

  • Put in place regular team-building activities and be in regular communication with the RSE team.

  • The New Zealand employer needs to have a mindset of continuity and succession. The key to this is building a strong referral system.

  • Ensure RSE employees have access to development opportunities. The main provider of this is Vakameasina.

  • Be open to learning about the values and culture of the Pacific Islands.

What Goes In Must Come Out.

Executive summary

Social licence to operate (SLO), also known as just social licence, is an unwritten agreement between stakeholders and a business/industry on the impact that they can have on the environment and community.

As the values of the community change our SLO is going to come under increasing pressure. Stakeholders are increasingly scrutinising water usage, agrichemical and fertiliser applications, worker welfare, noise pollution and visual impacts. They want to see justification of use of the products and tangible outputs (saleable product).

The aims and objectives of this project is to investigate whether growing cherries in an intensive, indoor growing system will protect our social licence to operate. Social licence will be defined, the aspects that are important to different stakeholders explored and how we can enhance our social licence with forward thinking growing systems explained.

A literature review was conducted to gather some insight to the origins of the social licence to operate concept, define social licence, identify stakeholders and examine what businesses can do to maintain social licence.

Three levels of stakeholders were identified as being significant to cherry production operations. These were seasonal workers, the general public and regulators. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with each stakeholder group to ascertain what aspects of cherry growing operations they perceived to be most important to the social licence to operate and what of these operations put the social licence to operate most at risk. These factors were then compared through a case study between a traditional open field cherry growing system and cherries grown intensive indoor growing system.

Conclusions

  • The practices of a cherry growing operation are likely to come under the spotlight. When questioned about operational practices and use of natural resources it is important that growers can provide quantitative data on the inputs involved and demonstrate attempts to increase efficiency.
  • Industry needs to be more open to sharing the positive aspects of their operations on the environment and community. We need to get better at promoting the good stories and letting people know all the good stuff we do. This way the industry has control over the information that is shared.

  • Education and communication are key to maintaining social licence to operate. Stakeholders are more likely to accept practices if they know why they need to occur, when they will occur, justification for the practice and what measures have been put in place to minimise any risk.

  • An intensive indoor growing system will protect the social licence of cherry growing operations. It will do this by decreasing the amount of water, fertiliser and agrichemical required to grow a kilogram of cherries while minimising the amount of waste product that is produced.

Recommendations

  • An industry-led research program needs to be set up to actively identify the stakeholders of cherry production and engage with them to find out their perceptions of positive and negative aspects of production and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each part production cycle. It will also identify practices that are deemed to be acceptable and unacceptable.

  • Embark on an information sharing and education program with stakeholders. Keep them up to date with orchard activities, invite them to the orchard and use social media as an information sharing platform.

  • Investment is required by industry to implement growing systems that are more efficient, that is have higher yields, less waste and use the natural resources and synthetic inputs more efficiently.