Kellogg Programme Reports

We aim to answer three key questions: 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?

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.

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 focuses on understanding the barriers to genetic potential through sire selection on New Zealand sheep farms. Do commercial farmers have the capacity and capability to understand the opportunity that these low methane-emitting genetics bring?

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.

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.

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.

With the growth goals of horticulture and seasonal labour shortage, how do we build a successful and productive Recognised Seasonal Employer workforce? This report investigates what makes a successful RSE team, with a focus on the kiwifruit industry. The seasonal workforce is explored as well as the drivers of what a successful team looks like. Recommendations are made to orchardists about how to build an engaged RSE team.

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.

The research report is committed to being responsive to Māori as Tangata Whenua and recognises the Tiriti o Waitangi as Aotearoa New Zealand’s founding document. The principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as articulated by the Waitangi Tribunal, and the New Zealand Courts provides a framework for how we are to fulfil our obligations under the Te Tiriti daily.

Older farmers enjoy the farming lifestyle and make their systems work for them at various stages of their life. But an increase of challenges, like rising costs, workforce, climate change, and the increase in new regulations are making farming harder. This report aims to better understand how the food and fibre sector can better support older farmers through these changes and challenges. Research in this report aims to better understand change adoption and mindset, reverse mentoring, learning preferences, and older farmer’s key drivers and challenges.

The aim of this report is to provide an understanding of te ao Māori (the Māori world view) and mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) in an agricultural context and to explore how some of the concepts within this area can be utilised in a way that benefits both individual farms and the wider industry.

A surveyed 49% of farm assistants on New Zealand dairy farms leave their employment in less than one year from starting. There is an abundance of recognised soft skills and human resources that can be altered to improve job satisfaction and retention in the New Zealand dairy sector. Although, there is a gap in the literature considering how physical aspects of a farm system may influence employee job satisfaction and retention, why this may be the case and how valid solutions can be implemented.

This report seeks to understand the reasoning behind, and effects of, this change from an economic, environmental, and cultural perspective, and to look out 30 years to establish longer term viability of traditional farming, rotational and permanent forestry and Manuka plantation for the purpose of honey production and carbon sequestration.

This research report attempts to provide specific support for agri-business leaders. It focuses on answering the question: Does an evidence-based approach to decision making improve outcomes for small agri-businesses in New Zealand?

This research project aims to understand the benefits, drawbacks, drivers, and barriers to blockchain adoption in NZ red meat supply chains, and in doing so answer the question: is blockchain the true path to the dream of Paddock to Plate traceability?

The New Zealand mohair industry is not in a place to capitalise on the global trend of increasing use of natural fibres in its current state. The industry has seen an ageing base to its producer group form. The lack of new entrants coming into the industry has meant it has struggled to remain relevant and viable.

To ensure family farm businesses, and the New Zealand dairy industry, can continue to thrive it is important that succession is done well. The aim of this report is to understand the key challenges that farming families face when trying to navigate through the succession process and identify solutions to these challenges.

This report aims to offer insights into how the utilisation of value chains by arable growers will enable them to create and capture more value from their products. The research methodology compromised a literature review, semi-formal interviews and case studies across the entire supply chain to gain insights into their experiences.

Consumers are willing to purchase and pay a premium price for food products that are of proven high quality and contain authenticated quality and credence attributes. The lack of a national provenance fragments the NZ agri-food marketing landscape, potentially weakening exporter’s ability to leverage true value.

Leadership’s impact on staff fulfilment, engagement, and retention is significant and is the fundamental driving factor that can make or break an organisation’s culture, engagement, and retention.

The aim of this report is to gain an understanding into the New Zealand Pasifika subsistence farming operations, identify the skills and values being developed/maintained in this setting, assess the sustainable livelihood opportunities, and understand the potential values and skills of New Zealand -based Pasifika bring to the Primary Industries.

The aim of this report is to understand how technical sales team functions can be harnessed within an organisation and utilised to grow market share. At the same time understanding the opportunities that technology integration and the forming of sales team functions can have on mitigating organisational risk and leveraging opportunity.

The aim of this report is to understand if sheep and beef farmers in NZ can use partial land use diversification to improve environmental sustainability. And at the same time create more resilient farm systems to remain profitable for the future.