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 Reports

Kylie Brewer

With increasing compliance and environmental changes being introduced and demands on farmers increasing, we will see some dyslexic farmers despairing and wondering how they will cope with the increase in paperwork which they already struggle with. Dyslexia is the new stigma in the agricultural sector which needs to be broken.

Katie Vickers

The aim for this commentary is to create a discussion piece for our industry leaders and to help the primary sector develop a potential common goal or value proposition. I want to challenge our thinking about how we tackle the changes that are facing our industry.

Andrew Savage

My findings suggest there needs to be better education and more information from industry bodies around the financial benefits of herd testing, more so the implications of not herd testing.  Tight margins and cost cutting at the farm level are partly to blame, but the immediate monetary savings of not testing are well outweighed by the production losses bought about by losing genetic gain and efficiency.

Lisa Portas

The Primary Industries have long been described as the economic backbone of New Zealand, with farming businesses being a way of life since before anyone can remember. Not too long ago, many of the city dwelling population had an Uncle and Aunt, or Grandparents, or family friends on a farm, that provided that nostalgic connection, … Read more

Caroline Letham

This research report is a literature review of the current climate and future sociopolitical environment prevalent in New Zealand’s food sector today. Specifically the possibility of food fraud on international and domestic produce is highlighted. The current actions that producers and companies are employing to prevent such adulterations or fraudulent activities along their supply chains … Read more

Frankie Hore

This research is in the form of a literature review which is precised here. The post-truth era is defined and accepted as a genuine, although not as a new phenomenon. Writers are discussed who blame post modernism for the post-truth Era. In this work the author elucidates the reasons why post modernism and wider philosophy … Read more

Jason Griffin

Increasingly consumers want to know where their food has come from and how it has been produced.  Confidence in food safety, animal welfare, and environmental practices is paramount.  High value market opportunities requiring a clear and traceable provenance story linked back to the birth of an animal, are developing quickly.   Livestock in New Zealand are … Read more

Luke Futter

With increased protein demand from the agriculture sector, ever increasing compliance costs and high land prices, adding more operational layers and diversity to an existing system is an option to some businesses. This business plan focuses on integrating pasture raised egg production into an organic dairy farm but has relevance to any farming system. The … Read more

Isabelle Crawshaw

Currently one fifth of New Zealand households don’t have enough food for active and growing children to support physical and mental development. Disadvantages such as these aren’t isolated to other parts of the world, this is happening on our door step. It’s common knowledge that children need to have their nutritional needs met to have … Read more

Nicky Barton

Being a great food producing nation comes at the price of almost 20 lives per year in New Zealand. Agriculture records the highest number of deaths of all industries and improving these statistics has proved a challenge for successive regulatory bodies, industry groups and farmers themselves. Almost a quarter of these deaths are those aged … Read more

Anna Fenemor

The agriculture sector is one that is talked about and analysed from every angle by people all around the world every single day. Successful agriculture is essential to survival as people have to eat.  As the world population is constantly increasing, so is the need to produce more food/fibre. Yet every day the agriculture sector … Read more

Adam Duker

Farmers are faced with many challenges. The external pressures of public perception, regulation and compliance have become stronger in recent years, and concerningly are likely to get more so. A farm is not just a business, it is a way of life for many people and supports many families. Rural professionals help farmers achieve their … Read more

Jonny Dingle

The New Zealand primary industry is facing significant change, in particular, pressures around environment, finance, biosecurity and changes to consumer behaviour. The leadership and skills of our rural professionals will be a key component to the success of our primary industry in this changing and challenging environment. For agribusiness organisations to remain relevant and equipped … Read more

Jamie Callahan

New Zealand as a country has a proud farming history with our farming culture having been built on a can do, ‘she’ll be right’ mindset. However, this same culture is killing our people. On a per capita basis New Zealand has some of the highest statistics in workplace fatalities with agriculture being the worst performing … Read more

Shaun Back

This report looks at the critical success factors required to develop a high-performing team culture; a deliberate process requiring a focus on continuous improvement based on building strong team values.

Scott Andrew

The catch phrase “Wall of Wood” is approaching reality with the substantial increase of afforestation in the mid-1990s coming to maturity and ready for harvest in the coming years. The Eastern Southern North Island (ESNI) was no exception in this new afforestation with the reported area of plantation forestry more than tripling from 20,500ha in … Read more

Ben Hancock

Rural Leadership – taming the wicked problems: Growing the toolbox to foster society’s trust through strategic solutions for allBy Ben Hancock https://vimeo.com/657583756 Ben Hancock – Scholar Presentation (June 2020) Societal and regulatory issues facing the agriculture have been escalating, and unrelenting – the demands on production and cost of food, society’s perceptions of agriculture, and … Read more

Corrigan Sowman

Corrigan Sowman – Scholar Presentation (May 2020) Across the world, pressure on our planet’s ecosystems is forcing society to “rethink” many of our everyday activities. Technology change is raising questions about where and how food can be produced, and the morality of food production. Agriculture is at a crossroads; past practices are no longer seen … Read more

Cameron Henderson

Cameron Henderson – Scholar presentation (May 2020) The New Zealand Net Zero Carbon Act’s main objective is that New Zealand contributes no further to global warming by 2050, a target commonly known as ‘Net Zero Carbon 2050’. To reach this vision, targets have been set for all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in New Zealand. Agriculture, … Read more

Hamish Murray, 2019 Nuffield Scholar

Hamish Murray

Hamish Murray – Scholar presentation (May 2020) Agriculture is awakening to the challenges of an ageing population and those entering the workforce with a new or differing attitude to work and life. That automation and technology is removing much of the mundane and labour-intensive work, outdated work structures and traditional ways of doing things are … Read more

Hamish Marr, Nuffield Schoilar 2019

Hamish Marr

Hamish Marr – Scholar Presentation (May 2020) In 1974 a product was developed that would revolutionise agriculture. It would go on to be the most used chemical spray in global agriculture largely due to its low toxicity, negligible soil residue and zero plant back period. That product was glyphosate and was sold under the trade … Read more

Valerie Walpot

With the New Zealand economy dependent on primary industries and export, New Zealanders concerned about the state of our natural environment, the ever-increasing focus on climate change, global consumers’ changing expectations and disruptive technologies challenging our existing systems and processes; significant questions for the primary industries rise. Are our land-based farm systems fit for purpose … Read more

Nigel Woodhead

New Zealand produces enough premium quality, safe food to feed approximately 40 million people (McCready, Tim. July 19th 2018).  It could safely be assumed then that accessing such amazing quality food in the region or even country of production would be an easy ask.  This is not always the case. Currently New Zealand’s economy is … Read more