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...

Sectors: Meat & Fibre

Data sharing to achieve data interoperability

Download the report »

New Zealand is a country of entrepreneurs and leaders in the creation of new systems and apps that can capture on farm data. A significant opportunity to automate data collection to match the systems together and see the data holistically still remains. Each company is creative and innovative in their own right, but farmers and growers want to see the data consolidated. This is how they can make robust, science-based decisions on farm.

This is becoming increasingly important as we move into a digital world where information is accessible at consumers’ fingertips – we need farm data to be in this same realm. With the new generation coming through, it is no longer enough to have values and show what farmers stand for, we also need to prove it.

During my Nuffield year I spent four months overseas visiting different agriculture companies, farmers, and governments. I came back with a strong understanding of the risks of not integrating our data. Covid-19 has changed our world faster than ever before. There are new standards and requirements to be met that are being imposed by consumers. No longer can we afford to look at siloed data systems.

We should not be afraid of transparency because the world is demanding it. Our consumers are demanding it. If we do not do it the effect will be that we will be told how to farm because we haven’t proved we are better than 10 years ago. I believe we do farm better. But belief does not cut it anymore. For the next generation coming through we need the data and the evidence of our farms to back up our claims.

No country or system I came across has a fully integrated farm data system. In New Zealand we are well placed to try something new around data interoperability because many of our companies are co­operatives and farmer owned. We are in the premium space and need to hold our premium position. We also need to have all the information available to make the best decisions on farm and enable scenario planning and modelling. We should be able to answer questions such as:

• What happens if I put 40 kilograms less fertiliser on per hectare? What does that do to my beef production and revenue line?
• What happens if I invest in cow monitoring technology and then catch mastitis and disease earlier? What does this do to production and revenue?

Consider the emerging discipline of a farm data manager. The farm data manager will work directly with farmers and growers to determine their drivers for farming and to create a data strategy. Every farmer and grower has different needs, drivers, and reasons for being. Different data points interest different farmers. Each farm and farmer or grower require a solution that matches their driver and strategy.

Farmers and growers need a bespoke solution for them – a data manager can assist with this. It is not practicable for every farm to employ a data manager. Instead, a data manager will have a portfolio of farmers and growers they work with to give them a solution that best works for them. We need to try something different to move forward on on-farm data interoperability.

This report proposes establishing a new discipline of the farm data manager. Farmers and growers are not expected to be finance experts instead they outsource this to an accountant to support them. So why are we asking them to be data experts? Instead, a farm data manager can support them.

Keywords for Search: Lucie Douma, Lucy Duma

How does Tracing a New Zealand Mid-Micron Wool Clip Impact a Grower’s Farming System?

Christie Burn Kellogg report
Christie Burn Kellogg report

Executive summary

The New Zealand mid-micron wool industry traditionally was a major contributor to the economy. Today, the wool cheque often does not cover the shearing costs. Therefore, most growers are implementing this mainstream income as a yearly farming expense.

With rising competition for cheaper apparel of plastics and synthetics, wool products have become targeted apparel for higher-end users due to price. With all this, it is putting pressure on the New Zealand wool industry, especially mid-micron, and strong wool growers.

The aim of this project is to understand the entire supply chain of mid-micron wool, and how growers adapt their business to suit this chain. The research seeks to establish if there is a premium for a traceable wool clip, and who in the chain absorbs the benefit if there is one.

Having a passion for wool, a byproduct, which is continuously decreasing in value, it seems appropriate to dissect the supply chain and understand it from a grower’s perspective and the impacts on their farming systems (positive and negative).

The literature review focuses on three main points consumer preference, supply chains, and value chains. Consumers are becoming more aware of prices, what products are made of, and where they come from. This is where the demand for traceability comes into place. The supply chain is complex and hard to trace which makes it difficult to give value back to growers.

Icebreaker is used as a case study to provide an example of a supply chain that is creating value for its farmers by meeting consumers’ demands. Interviewing industry leaders across the supply chain provided perceptions of each stage and their thoughts on the wool industry.

The recommendations aim to support farmers capture value from their mid-micron wool through tracing and adapting farm systems.

  1. Educate, educate, educate! Educating every stage of the supply chain will benefit by adding value back to growers.

  2. Educating consumers on mid-micron woollen products through wool in schools’ containers (Campaign for Wool), and marketing through social media and television.

  3. Farmers move out of their comfort zone by embracing technology and meeting consumer demands.

  4. Capturing the value and distributing it back to growers through meeting consumer demand.
 
 

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.

Red meat traceability with blockchain.

William Halliday Kelogg report image
William Halliday Kelogg report image

Executive summary

New Zealand’s agricultural industry has a reputation for being at the forefront of technological innovation.

Challenges such as nutrient deficient soils and distance to market have been met with novel fertilisers and refrigerated shipping. World renowned animal welfare standards and freedom from significant agricultural pests and diseases give our farmers significant advantages compared to their overseas counterparts.

It may be a surprise to learn, therefore, that the means of certifying products and providing assurance to global markets continues to rely on a paper-based system.

Importers must trust the paperwork provided by the exporter. Exporters must trust the paperwork provided by the producer. Producers must trust the paperwork provided by the supplier, and so on. This “one up, one down” traceability is becoming less acceptable to the global market, especially when it comes to food safety and claims of provenance.

A potential solution is to adopt blockchain technology, where a decentralised ledger allows supply-chain-wide visibility of product flows and immutable proof of claims.

While blockchain was developed for, and is still chiefly used in, the field of cryptocurrencies, it has found utility in other sectors including finance and supply chain management. The global diamond trade demands absolute proof of provenance to avoid stones mined using forced labour or where proceeds fund violence – it has found a solution to this using blockchain.

Blockchain has become a technological buzzword which has garnered plenty of attention, confusion, and misunderstanding. The purpose of this research report is to understand what a blockchain is, what it can (and cannot) do, what barriers exist to its adoption in red meat traceability, and what opportunities it presents.

Analysis of the literature and interviews with industry stakeholders leads to the general conclusion that while blockchain has some significant advantages over traditional, centralised databases, there is doubt as its maturity as a technology.

This represents significant risk to those interested in adopting it, and, coupled with the cost of replacing or upgrading systems across the supply chain, it is widely held that existing systems are fit for purpose and to make a shift to blockchain would represent an unnecessary disruption to the industry.

That said, there are potential drivers for blockchain adoption to consider. Government regulations regarding food safety and animal traceability are updated continually and can require the adoption of new technologies (the NAIT Act 2012 for example).

Import requirements are subject to change, especially in the face of food fraud and the global spread of animal and human diseases. Then there is the industry itself, which has an impressive track record of adopting and adapting technologies for the improvement of sustainability and productivity.

The convergence of blockchain with technologies such as the Internet of Things and machine learning could change the way farmers go about their business altogether.

It is therefore recommended that stakeholders in the New Zealand red meat sector keep an open mind to the possibility of adopting blockchain technology and be prepared to invest in further technological innovation as more demands are placed on existing systems. Being “blockchain-ready” will undoubtedly leave the sector better prepared for the future of global red-meat trade.

Partial land use diversification for long term sustainability and resilience of sheep and beef farms.

Lucy Murray Kellogg Report image
Lucy Murray Kellogg Report image

Executive summary

This project was completed to understand if sheep and beef farmers in NZ can use partial land use diversification to improve environmental sustainability and farm business resilience.

The reason this was studied is because farmers in New Zealand are facing environmental, social, institutional, and financial pressures.

Many sheep and beef farmers will likely need to make adaptions to their farm systems to remain profitable, improve environmental sustainability and to create more resilient farm systems for the future. One way of adapting the farm systems is through land use diversification.

A literature review was completed, and a series of farmers and industry professionals were interviewed. This data was then assessed through thematic analysis.

Diversification for agriculture is defined as the addition of another source of farm-based income to the existing income stream and it includes the introduction of additional farming enterprises.

Land use diversification can have numerous benefits in sheep and beef farms including, enhanced environmental outcomes, improved profitability and cash flow, enhanced farm resilience, more succession opportunities and a better integrated farm system.

The downfalls highlighted were increased risk to the farm system during development and early stages of land use change, and the initial financial outlay for development and increased complexity.

To reduce the risks of land use change, a comprehensive planning process is required. Some key steps include business planning and goal setting, understanding the biophysical resources, farm planning, matching the land use to land use capacity, climate and soil conditions, farm system modelling and evaluation and trialling.

If farmers in New Zealand can successfully transition their sheep and beef farms to diversified land use systems, it will likely transform the sheep and beef industry throughout the country to overcome environmental challenges and create long term sustainable and resilient farm systems.

Some recommendations to farmers assess the farm as if it is a blank canvas and understand different land use opportunities within the farm system. More research needs to be done on land use options available for different regions.

There is the opportunity to better understand and develop how farmers could use collaboration and catchment groups to aid in the success of land use diversification.

Conclusions

This study proved that partial land use diversification is a real option, one which sheep and beef farmers should consider for overcoming social, environmental, regulatory and financial pressures.

To de-risk the process of land use diversification, research and planning are crucial. Matching the land use to the capability of the biophysical resources is important for ensuring that there are no negative consequences to the environment.

If land use change is well planned and researched it will likely transform farm systems through improved long term financial performance, improved environmental outcomes and increased farm business resilience. 

There is potential to collaborate with other likeminded farmers and create cooperative models for the sharing of infrastructure, resources, and expertise, however more research needs to be done on this. Overall land use diversification is very important for the agricultural sector in New Zealand.

Recommendations

  • Landowners should assess their farm as if it is a blank canvas, identify production and profitability and limitations of different land management units. This will aid in realising the opportunities and inefficiencies within the farm system. Plus, it might help the farmer to realise that land use diversification is a real opportunity.
  • Research the different land use options you are considering, understand the requirements of the crop and the biophysical resources of your land to ensure you match the land use to the capability of the land. Plan for diversification thoroughly.
  • Develop tools which outline land use options and suit the local climate. These could be developed and maintained by regional councils with the use of local climate data and research into land use options. The tools should be accessible to farmers, this would likely de-risk the process of land use change for farmers and provide them with a starting point when considering land use change.
  • Collaboration could be considered with like-minded farmers to build scale and share resources when changes are made to land use. If they decide to do this investigation planning into corporate governance models is recommended.
  • Case studies should be produced on farmers who have been through the process of land use diversification, these could be done by the regional councils to aid farmers in making the change.

Bioavailability and micronutrient suitability of protein sources.

Executive summary

Consumers are becoming more aware of the impacts of their food choices on their health and on the environment. Many people believe that animal source foods are detrimental to both of these factors, whilst consuming only plant source foods will alleviate these problems. In the age of technology, misinformation and disinformation are easy to access and the health and nutrition sectors are not immune from this problem.

However, the notion that global health and environmental problems will be fixed by simply eliminating a particular food group is an overly simplistic view of a complex and dynamic situation. Dispelling misinformation and disinformation is imperative to making informed dietary choices, both on an individual basis but also from a policy making point of view.

The objectives of this report were to investigate the bioavailability of protein and micronutrients from different protein sources, and to evaluate the suitability of plants source foods to provide adequate levels of protein and micronutrients to support optimal human health. A review of literature was conducted in conjunction with an interview of a leading scientist in human protein nutrition to analyse the role of protein in dietary choices. This allowed me to draw key themes, apply critical thinking to research and themes, and identify areas of crucial importance.

The gastrointestinal tract and physiology of the human body differs from herbivorous mammals; humans are not able to synthesise the entire range of amino acids and micronutrients endogenously. These amino acids and micronutrients must then be sourced from the diet to ensure optimal health.

Protein quality is characterised by the amino acid profile of the protein, and the ability for this amino acid to satisfy the amino acid requirement of the person consuming the protein. Protein quantity in a diet is irrelevant if the protein in the diet is deficient in essential amino acids; amino acid deficiencies can still occur in someone consuming more protein than required if the protein being consumed doesn’t contain sufficient quantities of the most limiting amino acid in the diet.

The ability for nutritional and medical researchers to study human nutrition has limitations due to the constraints involved with this nature of research. Large scale research relies on evidence supplied by individuals which can be subjective. Small scale, more detailed research is extremely variable as each person will respond to the same treatment in a different manner, and this is influenced by many physiological factors.

Furthermore, the research is highly invasive, and endogenous biological processes mean that it is often not 100% accurate. Nutritional research using animals also has limitations due to interspecies physiological differences. As a result of these factors, there is strong discord amongst nutritional researchers as to dietary recommendations.

The bioavailability of proteins is defined by the digestibility of the protein, the chemical integrity of the protein and the interference in the metabolism of the protein from other compounds in the food matrix. Research has found animal source proteins to have higher bioavailability than plant source proteins.

Furthermore, animal source proteins are also rich sources of micronutrients, which also have high bioavailability for humans. In plant source foods, whilst they may contain micronutrients important for human health, these micronutrients may not be in a form which can be absorbed and utilised by humans, rendering the micronutrient no use.

Micronutrient deficiencies and amino acid deficiencies are widespread in populations who rely on staple based diets. These diets are confined to a small range of nutrients due to geographical and financial constraints. The incorporation of animal source proteins in these diets would aid in alleviating malnutrition amongst these populations by providing both high quality proteins and a wide range of bioavailable micronutrients.

Recommendations:

  • Advocate for scientific verification when policy is created with respect to restrictions on food groups.
  • Invest into food security and agricultural sustainability in third world countries to allow them to be self-sufficient and free from malnutrition.
  • Understand the research accurately to ensure confounding factors don’t influence interpretation of nutritional research.
  • Reduce restrictions on productivity to ensure malnourishment and food scarcity doesn’t worsen in vulnerable populations due to policy decisions in wealthy countries.
  • Identify limitations in a diet where food groups are eliminated.
  • Advocate for accuracy on food labelling to inform consumers of true nutritional value of foods.
  • Take ownership of the promotion the wholesome benefits of our products.
  • Ensure perceived environmental benefits of dietary choices are accurate.