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...

Rural Leaders News

The tiny country that feeds the world – Turi McFarlane 2018

We also heard about research at Waginengen University in the Netherlands which has highlighted a natural variation for photosynthesis in plants. With this knowledge they are hoping to breed crops in the future which make better use of photosynthesis – opening the possibility for much higher yields and capture of carbon dioxide. By Turi McFarlane, 2018

Read More »

The future as we know it

By Solis Norton, 2018 Nuffield New Zealand Scholar There was virtually no mention of the role of energy in agriculture. Nor discussion of the risk or impact of restrictions on production and trade resulting from emissions regulations or high energy costs. I found this deeply alarming. The Nuffield Contemporary Scholars Conference mixed some 100 plus forward

Read More »

The hunger winter and the evolution of subsidies – Simon Cook 2018

As a New Zealand farmer, we often hear about the long term subsidies paid to farmers in the EU, without ever understanding why these subsidies were introduced in the first place. By Simon Cook, 2018 Nuffield New Zealand Scholar The theme of this year’s CSC in the Netherlands was very much about learning and understanding the history

Read More »

General Manager Update: Anne Hindson, April 2018

November and the last E Nuff seem a long time ago, but Lisa, myself and the Board have been very busy since then with programmes, events and projects. It is a good time to acknowledge, as we head into the two yearly AGM, the workload and contribution of the Trustees.  The Nuffield Trustees (along with the

Read More »

Meet rural bachelors

A movie extra, a shearing champ, a guy up for a Taylor Swift sing-along – you’ll find them all in the Rural Bachelor of the Year finalists.

Read More »

Nuffield Loses A Great Scholar

The Nuffield alumni lost one of its oldest surviving scholars with the death of John O’Connor in March. Father of 2015 scholar, Bede and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, the connection with the O’Connor family has been strong.John O’Connor, ONZM, was a passionate advocate for the dairy industry and was regarded as a pioneer for introducing

Read More »

The Tiny Country That Feeds The World

We also heard about research at Waginengen University in The Netherlands which has highlighted a natural variation for photosynthesis in plants. With this knowledge they are hoping to breed crops in the future which make better use of photosynthesis – opening the possibility for much higher yields and capture of carbon dioxide.

Read More »

Global Focus Programme – Kate Scott 2018

BRAZIL GFP 2018 10 Nuffield Scholars, 6 Weeks, 5 Countries, 23 Flights, 78 Visits & Meetings After a whirlwind start to “Nuffield 18” and having survived the Contemporary Scholars Conference in the Netherlands, it was time to set out on my GFP – by all previous accounts the sort of trip that legends are made

Read More »

Global Focus Programme – Andy Elliot 2018

Our Global Focus Programme travelled through Italy, Texas, British Columbia, Argentina and Chile. A month on from finishing my GFP, certain themes remain fixed in my mind, here’s my highlights package. Italy – “people, travel, not food” Italy was a real change of focus and priorities to the export orientated Netherlands. It’s been all about

Read More »

Global Focus Programme – Turi McFarlane 2018

38 days, 5 countries – the 2018 Africa Global Focus Programme in my words The 2018 Nuffield Africa Global Focus Programme (GFP) was unrelenting and motivating to the core. This extended period of travel with 8 other international Nuffield scholars was nothing short of incredible – challenges would be laid down, preconceptions shattered and friendships

Read More »

Global Focus Programme – Solis Norton 2018

Through March and April of 2018 I partook in the Nuffield Global Focus Programme tour. With me were Turi Mcfarlane (New Zealand) and Shannon Notter, a kiwi living in Australia, from Australia Andrew Slade, James Hawkins, and Alison Larard, from Scotland Jenna Ross and from Nova Scotia in Canada Josh Olton. Over the course of

Read More »

A note from the Chair

Juliet Maclean, November 2017 Since my last note, not only do we have a new government, we also have five new Nuffield scholars. The businesses of farming and growing have changed dramatically over the past decade. Historically, it was adequate for farmers to express a personal desire to care for their livestock and land and to

Read More »

Finding our place in the market and our future food strategy

David Kidd, 2017 Nuffield Scholar   As the world population continues to increase, there is a corresponding need to further develop innovation within the food production model in order to sustain this increase. However, we need to be very aware of what our place in the model is, and the number of people that we

Read More »

Opportunity to lift our game: leadership in employment standards

Jason Rolfe, 2017 Nuffield Scholar   Travelling around the world as part of my Nuffield experience it was clear that the other dairy producing countries hold New Zealand as world leaders in pasture fed milk production which is something we pride ourselves on. However, we can’t become complacent and as I have identified there are

Read More »

Obtaining Premium Prices with Business-to-Business Model

Ryan O’Sullivan, 2017 Scholar Somewhat unsurprisingly, common themes have definitely emerged during the past year of travelling the globe and discussing agriculture with our fellow Scholars. The pastoral New Zealand agriculture sector has long been criticized for operating at the bulk commodity end of the market, be it frozen carcasses or brown bags of milk

Read More »