2024

Public concern for the welfare of farmed animals is increasing. While New Zealand is often considered progressive in terms of its animal welfare legislation, we are not devoid of welfare issues when it comes to the management of animals within our food production systems. When considering dairy animals, cattle are often the main focus; however, dairy goats and dairy sheep are both emerging industries within New Zealand. Therefore, this report will encompass all three species.

Determining priority issues of animal welfare is critical to ensure limited funding and research is focused in the most appropriate areas, and to ultimately improve on-farm practices and animal welfare. It also allows for awareness to be raised regarding animal welfare best practice, and to highlight where the status quo is being challenged and where novel approaches are being used to address priority issues.

Whilst previous research has used expert consensus to identify priority welfare issues in dairy animals, there is no New Zealand specific data. Therefore, the overarching objective of this project was to determine priority welfare issues specific to New Zealand, by using a multistakeholder approach. Specifically, the aims of this project were to 1) determine how stakeholders rate known welfare issues for the three species, 2) determine specific priority issues of animal welfare for the three species, 3) identify novel approaches that are being used within the industry/sector to help mitigate the identified priority issues.

A review of the scientific and industry relevant literature was conducted to establish a list of documented welfare issues for each species (i.e., dairy cattle, dairy goats and dairy sheep). An online survey was then developed and circulated to a range of stakeholders (including veterinarians, farmers, scientists, government, NGO’s) for them to rate the constructed list of welfare issues in terms of severity and occurrence using Likert scale questions. Additionally, using open ended questions respondents were asked to specify their top three welfare priorities and to identify any novel approaches being used to improve animal welfare. Follow up semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain additional information for some of the identified novel approaches.

Key survey findings:

• A high percentage of respondents rated the severity of lameness as having a high or very high impact for all three species (76%, 83%, 71% for dairy cattle, goats, and sheep respectively). Furthermore, lameness was identified as the top priority issue for all three species.
• The severity of painful procedures was rated higher in dairy goats and sheep compared to dairy cattle.
• Delayed veterinary care and/or delayed euthanasia featured high in terms of severity for all three species.
• A high percentage of respondents rated the occurrence of surplus offspring (71%, 85%, 35% for dairy cattle, goats, and sheep respectively) and early dam separation (81%, 75%, 41% for dairy cattle, goats, and sheep respectively) as very frequently or always in all three species. Additionally, surplus offspring was identified as a priority issue for dairy cattle and dairy sheep.
• Lameness and surplus offspring were reoccurring themes across the survey responses for all three species. Therefore, they were the focus for follow up interviews regarding novel approaches.
  • Novel approaches to improve the welfare of surplus offspring included creation of new value streams through premium meat products, and the breeding of dairy beef,
  • Novel approaches for lameness centred around innovative technologies (e.g. Herd-i).

Recommendations:

• Stakeholder collaboration is needed to solve ‘wicked’ problems. There is no silver bullet to solve complex welfare challenges. Commitment from stakeholders for continuous improvement across the supply chain is required to solve or at least reduce some of these issues (i.e. surplus offspring).
• Showcase and support the innovative thinkers and early adopters. There are farmers and companies challenging the status quo and coming up with innovative ways to overcome welfare issues. They deserve recognition, industry and government support and financial assistance. If we are proactive and support the innovators and early adopters, then we can drive animal welfare change through farmer lead solutions rather than being pushed by policy and regulations from government.
• New Zealand cannot rest on its laurels. We need to be proactive when it comes to animal welfare to ensure we maintain our social license to farm, keep up with public expectation of pasture-based animal production systems, and to meet changing domestic and international market expectations.

Ka mua, ki muri – Walking backwards into the future

The food and fibre sector stands as a cornerstone of Aotearoa’s economy, employing 367,000 people and contributing significantly through agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and fisheries. With Māori assets in the sector valued at over $23 billion, and rangatahi Māori comprising a substantial proportion of the Māori population, the future of the industry is intrinsically linked to the empowerment and success of these young leaders. This report explores the barriers rangatahi face, identifies opportunities for growth, and offers strategies to create a thriving and inclusive sector where rangatahi Māori can lead with confidence and pride.

Through kaupapa Māori-centred research, including surveys and wānanga, this study captures the lived experiences of rangatahi and their supporters. It reveals that systemic challenges, such as limited access to culturally aligned education and training, insufficient career guidance, financial constraints, and workplaces that fail to authentically integrate tikanga Māori, are significant barriers to their success. Many rangatahi feel disconnected from industry pathways that do not reflect their values or aspirations, while financial pressures and geographical isolation further compound these challenges.

However, the research also highlights transformative opportunities for change. Initiatives grounded in Te Ao Māori values, including culturally aligned leadership programmes, mentorship networks, and hands-on training schemes, have already shown their potential to foster confidence, build skills, and inspire rangatahi to see their place within the sector. These successes demonstrate the importance of prioritising cultural authenticity, holistic support, and equitable access in fostering meaningful engagement.

Te Whare Tapa Whā, Mason Durie’s holistic model of wellbeing, provides a vital framework for understanding what it means for rangatahi to thrive. Participants described success as more than individual achievement, emphasising the importance of balance across spiritual, emotional, physical, and social dimensions. Thriving is inherently collective, rooted in contributions to whānau, hapū, and iwi, and in alignment with cultural identity and aspirations.

To enable rangatahi Māori to thrive, the report identifies the need for systemic change across the food and fibre sector. Education and training programmes must reflect Māori values and provide clear, culturally aligned pathways into meaningful careers. Mentorship, grounded in Māori perspectives, can connect rangatahi with role models who inspire and guide them toward leadership roles. Workplaces must become inclusive spaces where tikanga Māori is authentically integrated, creating environments where Māori identity is valued and celebrated. Financial support, including scholarships and subsidies, is critical for reducing economic pressures and enabling rangatahi to fully participate. Additionally, amplifying Māori leadership and sharing success stories can inspire others and challenge outdated perceptions of the sector.

The vision outlined in this report is of a food and fibre sector that honours the strengths of Māori culture, values, and leadership. In this future, rangatahi Māori are not only participants but transformative leaders, shaping an industry that is innovative, sustainable, and deeply reflective of Aotearoa’s bicultural heritage. Achieving this vision requires a collective commitment to dismantling barriers, fostering inclusivity, and embracing Māori perspectives at every level.

This is a moment of immense opportunity. By addressing the challenges identified and implementing the strategies proposed, the food and fibre sector can position itself as a global leader in cultural authenticity and sustainability. Empowering rangatahi Māori is not just an investment in individuals but a commitment to securing the future resilience and prosperity of the sector for generations to come.

The vision presented here is one of a food and fibre sector where rangatahi Māori are not only participants but transformative leaders. By addressing systemic barriers and embracing the strengths of Māori culture and identity, the sector can lead globally in sustainability, innovation, and cultural authenticity. This is a unique opportunity to act collectively, ensuring the sector’s resilience and prosperity for generations to come.

A partnership approach involves the pooling of resources, competencies, capacity and expertise, thereby achieving outcomes that add value to what each party could achieve by acting alone (Warner & Sullivan, 2004). New Zealand’s food and fibre sector benefits when participants work together to solve its challenges and bring value to the farm gate.

The purpose of this report is to evaluate what value working together brings to farmers and growers and the different types of potential value that can returned to the farm gate through the lens of industry partnerships. The objectives of the study were to address two primary questions.

1. What are the elements of a successful partnership?
2. What value can partnerships bring to the farm gate?

The methodology comprises a narrative literature review of existing works. This provided a base knowledge for conducting eight semi-structured interviews with a mixture of rural professionals, farmers, and growers. The themes identified from the literature review and interviews were then collated into a thematic analysis.

The results of this analysis showed that in order to return value, a partnership must be successful. Elements identified as contributing towards the success of a partnership we categorised using Sinek’s (2009) Golden Circle model of why, how and what. Purpose sat core of the model with trust, goalsetting, equity, management and people making the middle layer of how. Finally, structures and contracts were identified as the product of purpose, the what.

It was established that partnerships can bring social, productivity and profitability benefits to the farm gate. Productivity, which is often qualitative, typically leads to improved profitability over the long term. Profitability was found to be an instant benefit to the farm gate and was easily communicated and measured. Social value is often referenced within developing countries and was not widely discussed within interviews.

Recommendations for the food and fibre industry are:

• Participants within the food and fibre sector should view working with others as an opportunity to create greater value than what one can achieve by working alone.
• Initiatives that involve working with other parties should be formed and communicated from the inside out, starting with purpose.
• Communicating effectively and engaging farmers and growers is fundamental to creating value at the farm gate, communication should be tailored to a diverse audience.

The Waikato region is a stronghold for the New Zealand primary industries. With agriculture contributing above average levels of the regions GDP when compared to the rest of New Zealand (Keenan, Mackay, & Paragahawewa, 2023). This performance is off the back of strong pastoral farming performance, mostly dairy. The lack of diversity within Waikato’s agricultural land use brings both opportunities and risks.

The climate is changing, we have seen this in the past 10 years, with an increasing number of extreme weather events. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of these changes on potential land use to identify opportunities for new land uses and threats to the current land uses.

This study reviews relevant literature and spatially analyses the New Zealand climate projections data set (in ArcGIS) within the Waikato region. This analysis also includes consideration of the versatility of the land as classified by Land use capability (Classes 1-3).

From the literature review, there were some key findings that drove the spatial analysis for this study.

• THI is projected to increase, which may cause heat stress challenges for livestock based land uses.
  • Whilst the dataset does not include THI 72 data the proxy hot days has been used to consider this. While this does not give a direct indication of heat stress it does indicate the likelihood of heat stress.
• Cold extremes are predicted to reduce, potentially making way for an increase crop type options.
  • A study on the number of frost days has been used to investigate this.
• Nationally drought risk is predicted to increase, however within the Waikato this risk is mitigated by an increase in annual rainfall according to Wang et al (2014).
  • Potential evaporation deficit (PED) has been used to indicate drought risk.

The dataset used is taken from the Ministry for the Environment, provided by NIWA as New Zealand’s most up to date climate change projections. Within the dataset there are a number of variables and for each variable there are a number of scenarios. This study looks at;

• Total annual rainfall
• Hot days (days where the maximum air temperature exceeds 25oC).
• Frost days (days where the minimum air temperature is below 0oC)
• Potential Evapotranspiration Deficit (PED)
• Growing Degree Days (GDD)

For each variable this study analysed the baseline period of 1995-2014 versus the following scenarios;

• The sustainability pathway (as defined by the IPCC AR6) – SSP1 – 2.6
• The middle of the road pathway (also defined by the IPCC AR6) – SSP2 – 4.5

Each for both of the future periods of 2021 – 2040 and 2080 – 2099.

• Mean annual rainfall projected change estimates are minimal
• Hot days are projected to increase by up to 61 days by 2100.
  • The projected increase in hot days will increase the risk of heat stress for livestock and reduce livestock productivity.
• PED is projected to increase by 2100
  • The increase in PED equates to increased likelihood of drought, increasing the importance of growing drought tolerant plants/pastures/trees etc.
• Frost days are projected to reduce.
  • Enabling increased productivity for frost sensitive crops and diversification into these land uses.
• Growing degree days will increase.
  • Enabling increased productivity and diversity of land uses as more subtropical and tropical species become viable land uses.

Current land use in the Waikato is dominated by livestock based production. This is potentially underutilising some of the high quality soils in our region. The projected change in the climate for the Waikato provides risk to the livestock-based production that we (Waikato) are so reliant on currently, it also provides opportunities for other land uses to be come viable.

Potential land uses this study considered include;

• Berries
• Sweetcorn
• Avocados
• Citrus
• Asparagus
• Peanuts
• Kumara
• Macadamia

Further research into;

• Mitigation options for heat stress,
• Pasture alternatives,
• Barriers to land use change,
• Where potential investment into the value chain should go in the Waikato,
  are recommended for next steps.