2024

New Zealand is home to an incredible product: lean beef and lamb. In today’s health-conscious world, people are more focused than ever on their nutrition, striving to enhance their diets with wholesome foods. Despite this growing awareness, many still lack essential knowledge about nutrition and the potential deficiencies that can arise. Malnutrition remains a significant concern both in New Zealand and around the world.

New Zealand beef and lamb are packed with essential vitamins and minerals. These delicious products offer flavour and a convenient and enjoyable way to nourish your body. Thus, when promoting New Zealand beef and lamb, it is crucial to emphasize their nutritional benefits; it needs to be part of the story. Whether in local markets or on the international stage, highlighting the value of these exceptional products can inspire consumers to make informed choices that positively impact their health and well-being.

Significant research and media discussion have focused on why red meat is considered unhealthy. This research aims to create a positive perspective on New Zealand’s beef and lamb nutritional benefits and acknowledge why it is important to promote these. This research examines why lean red meat is good for your immune system, brain health, and weight management, as well as some challenges and opportunities in promoting this to the customer. This is crucial for New Zealand to highlight the role of red meat in a balanced diet, as this opens significant market opportunities with consumers increasingly recognizing the health benefits of high-quality meat.

The methodology comprises a literature review, semi-structured interviews with Industry leaders, representatives, geneticists, and nutritionists, and an analysis of websites, social media, podcasts, and short videos. This data was used to form a balanced view of the nutritional benefits of beef and Lamb and gain insights into the current challenges in the NZ market regarding the promotion of nutritional benefits and the opportunities that exist.

Key Findings

New Zealand beef and lamb offer a rich source of vitamins and minerals beneficial for immune support, weight management, and overall brain health. Whole foods are encouraged over supplements, highlighting the nutritional advantages of grass-fed New Zealand beef and lamb, particularly in Omega-3 levels.

Consumer awareness of red meat’s nutritional content is increasing, with a demand for high-protein, low-saturated fat options rich in essential nutrients. However, conflicting information and sensationalized media coverage create confusion regarding red meat, complicating informed decision-making for consumers.

Nutrition can be inherited and improved through selective breeding of sheep and cattle, presenting opportunities for better animal health and product quality in New Zealand’s livestock system. The current focus remains on quantity rather than quality, potentially undermining the opportunity to enhance superior meat characteristics and align with consumer preferences for high-quality products.

Current trends show that New Zealanders consume less lamb than beef. New Zealander’s total red meat consumption per person may be less than the recommended levels by the Ministry of Health.

Recommendations

• Nutrition should remain an essential aspect of New Zealand’s meat narrative, even if it is not the primary focus; this will enhance the New Zealand story and help meet consumer demands.
• Further investigation into omega-3 levels in New Zealand lamb and beef could support changes in food standards, officially recognizing omega-3 as a health benefit, which may boost consumer interest and demand.
• Innovative strategies are needed to educate vulnerable populations, such as pregnant individuals and young people, about the critical role of red meat in nutrition.
• Further research into the relationship between animal diets and human nutrition could yield valuable insights and align with New Zealand’s current grass-fed point of difference. To enhance the credibility of the conclusions drawn through facts and data.
• Advances in genetics and animal nutrition present opportunities to develop niche products that enhance nutritional value and flavour, appealing to health-conscious consumers.

This report explores the evolving landscape of gene technology in New Zealand, focusing on the implications of genetic modification (GM) and the New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) for the agricultural sector. Gene technology has revolutionized agriculture globally, offering solutions for pressing challenges such as food security, climate change mitigation, and sustainable farming practices. However, in New Zealand, stringent regulation has limited the adoption of gene technologies in agriculture, creating a complex environment where scientific potential must be balanced with environmental and public concerns.

The research analyses New Zealand’s current regulatory framework, governed by the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act. In contrast to global practices where GMOs are widespread, New Zealand’s stringent regulations make it a laggard in gene technology adoption. Recent discussions about potential updates to the regulations reflect a shift towards a more adaptive approach, potentially opening opportunities for New Zealand to capitalize on gene technology while maintaining an acceptable balance with environmental, health, and ethical risks.

The report breaks down the distinctions between GMOs and gene-edited organisms, presenting an overview of different techniques, regulatory challenges, and the limitations of existing laws. A significant focus is placed on understanding public perception, including insights from the Māori perspective, emphasizing the cultural considerations.

Case studies highlight the practical applications of gene technology in agriculture worldwide and offer comparisons to current practices in New Zealand. Benefits such as improved crop resilience, economic gains, and contributions to climate change mitigation are described along with potential environmental and health risks.

The report concludes by outlining the potential of gene technology to support New Zealand’s agricultural prosperity while ensuring that the regulatory framework evolves to balance innovation with caution. The findings aim to support informed decision-making among New Zealanders regarding the future of gene technology in their agricultural systems.

The dichotomy of shedding and woolly sheep breeds has become a ubiquitous well publicised topic. Outcomes of generational and incredibly complex macro environments have caused farmers to face difficult times. Through crisis, we are forced to become innovative to survive looking to other breeds and diversification. Amongst a continued global financial crisis, the latest report presents worsened forecasts directing the sector to a very negative financial outlook. (Beef and Lamb NZ, 2023-24). Although the outlook appears negative as an industry with innovative thinking and foresight there are options to counteract some of the downturn. (Scobie, D, 2022). Some farmers have had no choice but to take the initiative to make strategic business decisions to innovate and change their farming policy adapting to the current global economic and environmental situation. These decisions have had to increase productivity and reduce costs.

The purpose of the report is to encourage Changing the path of New Zealand Sheep Farming – The Revolutionary Road to Adaptive Shedding Sheep and a Sustainable Farming Strategy. The importance of this report is to authentically reveal and understand shedding sheep in their entirety outlining the benefits they bring financially, physically and environmentally.

The key question for this study is Shed or Shear?

• Understand Breed differences – Identifying pros and cons of shedding sheep and strong wool breeds.
• Breed Economic Comparisons – Evaluation of changing breeds and cost analysis.
• The Supply and Demand of Meat and Fibre – Supply, Demand and Consumer Perceptions.
• Drench Resistance Epidemic – Solutions through Genetics.
• Psychology and Resistance to Change – Farmer Sentiment and Innovation.

This report determines the change to shedding sheep will give financial and environmental stability and the wellbeing farmers deserve. Critical analysis of various research reports within a literature review state and outlines the benefits of shedding sheep collaborated with the findings presenting a potential for balance within the sector for those continuing to farm strong wool sheep. A questionnaire was completed by various sheep farmers and industry experts. This highlights the key findings of reasons to change to shedding sheep. These include reduced labour and all costs, enhanced animal health, welfare and ethical practices, higher productivity, reduced health and safety risks, enhanced farmer wellbeing and less environmental impact.

Anthelmintic resistance is a major productivity issue in sheep farming. Genetics, farming strategies and pasture management are effective measures of managing parasite burden. Resistance to change breeds is mostly traditional mindset, genetic barriers and the hope for the return of a decent wool revenue.

Rectifying wool returns would take masses of humanity’s mindset change to the use of Wool, reduction in supply chain costs, banning of synthetic fibres and/or sustainable standard enforcements for cooperations using fibre and a significant change to shedding sheep for any sheep farmers. All actions listed are necessary to create a significant demand for wool.

Future steps discovered through limitations will be to grow recently established shedding sheep breeder’s societies, genetic research and recording of shedding breeds, reveal evidence for urgency, communicate vision, remove obstacles, set genetic goals and targets and to build on genetic material and potential branding of shedding sheep meat.

This report looks into the trusted sources of advice for New Zealand kiwifruit growers during biosecurity and adverse weather events, with a focus on understanding the drivers of trust within the industry.

The research was conducted through a combination of literature review, grower survey, and a select number of in-depth interviews with industry leaders.

Findings highlight the critical role that trust plays in crisis response management (such as adverse weather and biosecurity events) and provide key insights into how trust is built, maintained, and leveraged during times of uncertainty and urgency.

From the literature review, findings reveal that trust is largely influenced by the reliability, transparency, and integrity of the information source. In the horticultural / agricultural / rural space, both personal and organisational relationships play significant roles in building trust. However, the literature suggests that personal relationships, such as face-to-face interactions with known and experienced individuals, often carry more weight in high-stress situations.

The grower survey and interviews align with these insights, showing that growers and industry leaders tend to trust individuals they have regular contact with – such as post-harvest representatives and peers – rather than the organisation or group per se that they represent. While organisations like Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH) are trusted and respected for their leadership and strategic role in managing responses, personal relationships with experienced and reliable individuals are also considered very trusted sources during a crisis.

Key themes from the interviews and survey reinforce the importance of:

Timely and transparent communication
New Zealand kiwifruit growers (and the industry personnel who directly support them) expect continuous, clear, and honest updates, even when all details are not yet available and there are no major changes to the situation at that point in time.

Personal relationships
Trust is closely tied to familiarity with individuals who have demonstrated reliability and integrity over time.

Organisational credibility
While personal relationships are paramount, organisations like KVH and Zespri are still trusted for their authoritative roles, particularly in biosecurity and weather-related adverse responses, and the credibility of well-known, long-term, experienced staff adds to this.

Unified industry responses
The need for a coordinated and unified response from the entire industry, with all organisations aligned, is crucial to maintaining trust and ensuring effective adverse event response management.

In ? We Trust

In all, the research shows that trust within the kiwifruit industry is multifaceted, and deeply rooted in both personal relationships and organisational credibility that has been built up over time. Effective response management relies on leveraging both these elements through reliable, timely communication, and strong leadership.

This report recommends maintaining a flexible and scalable response framework, enhancing communication strategies, and fostering personal and group/organisational relationships to further build (and sustain) trust within the industry during emergency adverse events. These responsibilities sit within KVH as lead agency responsible for co-ordinating responses, and the industry personnel they work alongside.

Background

Throughout rural New Zealand there are farmers who tend to be recognised by both peers and professionals as being better at their chosen field than others. This is the primal competitive nature of humans.

In high performance sports, where the elite athlete competes, the margin between success and failure can be very small, and the slightest advantage is often the difference. This critical difference is referred to as the “one percent”, and assumes core fundamentals are already done well, as with farming.

Aims & Objectives

The use of sports psychology to derive that one percent advantage over the competition has become widely accepted and implemented by professional athletes competing at the highest level.

For a farmer, who is already recognised as operating at a high level, what is the one percent advantage that could take them to ‘elite’?

This paper investigates whether the use of SP tools could be that one percent advantage, what the most applicable tools are and how they might be implemented.

Methodology

The methodology incorporates both a literature review and semi-structured interviews. The latter proving most valuable for qualitative insight and findings given the lack of specific validated research on the use of sports psychology by top farmers. By interviewing three distinct groups of ‘experts’ across sports and farming conclusions were able to be drawn by contrasting the themes in their responses.

Key Findings

As with the use of sports psychology by elite athletes, the tools identified could potentially have some positive impact for a top farmer seeking a little extra edge to get ahead.

None are new, but with more conscious and regular application of those tools that best suit the individual, better outcomes are possible. Given that farming is not a competitive sport as such the use of sports psychology tools will be more subtle and likely have a greater intrinsic personal benefit then an immediate overt, physical outcome.

Consistency is essential for sustained improvement.

Recommendations for Farmers

• When completing normal daily diary entries, consider adding notes relating to mental preparation and execution, as well as a rating for the day in reflecting on the wins and ‘work-on’s’.
• As part of a business goal setting process include improvement of key mental skills too.
• Continue developing strengths, not just weaknesses, as these strengths have contributed to the current level of success. Neglecting the strengths will result in mediocre outcomes.
• The use of a performance coach, or mental skills expert (even if only occasional) will provide fresh perspective and a more holistic view.

Recommendations for Stakeholders

By giving greater consideration to why and how decisions and actions occur on farm, based on the performance psychology of the farmer concerned, better insight is gained enabling more accurate and informed judgement calls in a subjective area.

The management of non-replacement calves, or bobby calves, is a constant challenge for the New Zealand Dairy industry. Since 2014, the public scrutiny of the practice has continued and is unlikely to stop. With bobby calf numbers now in a relatively steady state since growing from 876,426 in 1989 to just under 2 million today, it is time to take a serious look at how we can add value to these animals and make a change. We are the sole outlier in the dairy world with other countries having reduced their bobby calf numbers through veal production systems or traditional beef systems. This is a unique situation and poses an immediate risk to the dairy industries public perception, social licence and future export opportunities.

This report will investigate a variety of potential options for reducing bobby calf numbers. Through interviews with dairy farmers and farm advisors as well as two past-the-farm-gate beef businesses. Along with a literature review looking at the history of the industry and the key differences between NZ and our overseas counterparts. Current practises assessed include the current 4-day-old bobby system, rearing Wagyu or dairy beef calves and exploring a rose veal opportunity. However, each of these options has its downfalls, Wagyu calves appear to be harder to rear and are slower growing, Friesian bull market opportunities are inconsistent, and new markets like veal are too small to significantly reduce bobby calf numbers. The key concern for dairy farmers is the ease of calving from beef sires and reduced days in milk due to longer gestation lengths. Many of the current strategies are not scalable to significantly reduce bobby calf numbers.

Through this research, it has been realised that there is a need for stronger collaboration between the dairy and beef sectors, particularly through fixed contracts that offer farmers market certainty. A key theme from the farmer interviews was the lack of integration within supply chains, meaning that there is inefficiency that reduces profitability. Farmers also highlighted that while the industry will always be affected by public concerns, New Zealand’s beef industry size and limited market access are major barriers for absorbing and reducing large numbers of bobby calves. Developing reliable beef markets, and possibly a veal industry, would be essential steps toward creating alternatives to the bobby calf system.

Advances in genetics and technology offer promising avenues for improvement. Using sexed semen to produce high-value replacement calves and selecting high-performing beef sires for non-replacement calves can add value to dairy-beef offspring. This could enable more calves to be integrated into the beef supply chain and address farmers’ main concern of calving ease.

This report concludes that the dairy industry must proactively reduce bobby calf numbers to protect its reputation and export viability. Key recommendations include expanding the use of genetic tools, improving beef market integration through contracts, and scaling the veal market as a viable alternative. The New Zealand dairy industries resilience and adaptability are essential strengths, and by harnessing them, the industry can develop a sustainable model for bobby calf management, as well as adding value. Addressing these challenges will help maintain the industry’s social license, protect its long-term profitability, and secure continued global market access.

Farm planning has emerged as a critical tool for New Zealand’s sheep and beef sector, enabling farmers to better manage resources, drive financial sustainability, and navigate both regulatory and voluntary environmental standards. While farm planning holds significant potential for supporting sustainable farming, adoption remains uneven, leading to a fragmented approach that limits widespread impact and effectiveness across the sector. Significant value and opportunities in farm planning for the New Zealand sheep and beef sector exist.

This research seeks to demonstrate how non-regulatory farm planning benefits sheep and beef farmers via a framework for managing resources and identifying opportunities. Key objectives include pinpointing essential elements of effective farm planning, analysing adoption barriers, assessing perceived financial gains, and crafting strategic recommendations to promote engagement and uptake across the sector.

The study gathered insights through a review of literature, digital surveys and semi-structured interviews with Lower North Island sheep and beef farmers, alongside stakeholders such as banks, regional councils, and industry advisors. This mixed-method approach enabled a small-scale detailed analysis of current farm planning practices, drivers and barriers to adoption, and stakeholder perspectives on fostering sector-wide engagement.

Some key findings are:

• Farm planning supports sustainable outcomes by enhancing decision-making, environmental stewardship, and financial outcomes. While many farmers recognise these benefits, varying engagement levels suggest that perceived financial returns differ significantly, impacting broader adoption across the sheep and beef sector.
• Stakeholder influence, especially industry bodies and consultants, is pivotal in driving farm planning, providing resources and guidance that underscore its value.
• Key barriers include time and cost constraints, access to information, experts and processes, regulatory complexity, and uncertainty around evolving compliance standards.

Some recommendations for farmers and stakeholders are:

1. Standardise farm planning formats to develop a unified, agreed integrated framework that reduces duplication and simplifies planning for farmers covering the range of farm resources.
2. Engage stakeholders through collaboration with industry and community partners to leverage existing farm data and create a cohesive, actionable plan.
3. Advocate for digital tools that facilitate easy creation, updating, and sharing of farm plans, and reduce duplication.
4. Demonstrate the value of non-regulatory farm planning to inspire peers and demonstrate the real-world benefits, reinforcing a shared commitment to sector-wide improvement.

Background

Highly productive soils are a precious and finite resource, critical for food production but also highly valued for climate regulation, water cycling, biodiversity, cultural significance, and recreation. However, research suggests that up to 75 percent (source FAO, 2020) of soils globally, are already degraded. Now more than ever, stakeholders needs to take actions that will firstly, halt further loss of highly productive soil to city expansion, and secondly protect and enhance remaining productive soils.

Methodology

A literature review was completed to understand recent research undertaken both in New Zealand and overseas that addresses the topic of soil health and specifically the importance of soil health as a measure of sustainability. Where possible, direct references to horticulture or fruit production were sought.

A series of semi-structured interviews were carried out to gather a range of perspectives from a diverse, but relatively small group of stakeholders. Thematic analysis was carried out to identify key themes.

Objectives and scope

The main objectives of this research project are to:

• Understand the drivers that influence soil health outcomes in New Zealand
• Understand how growers, industry bodies, researchers and government currently evaluate or manage soil health
• Identify opportunities to improve soil health outcomes in New Zealand and how these may differ from the rest of the world

Key Findings:

Although participants in this project all recognised that soil health is important, their approach toward the management of soil varied widely.

Additional support in the form of education and extension will help to increase further adoption of sustainable practices that enhance soil health

Change in some parts of the sector is slow due to a combination of mindset and economic, or business-related headwinds that must be overcome.

Market demands and industry-led initiatives will increasingly influence grower practices and elevate the importance of soil health.

Recommendations:

• With support, most growers will be capable of making changes to enhance soil health without increasing business risk.
• Industry bodies and product groups should have strategies that elevate awareness of soil health.
• Governments need to place equal emphasis on the protection of productive soils, as well as the enhancement of soil health.
• Policy settings need to include clearly defined soil health objectives and allow local government to set regionally specific goals.

The future of arable farming in Canterbury presents a complex landscape of opportunities and challenges. The Canterbury region boasts fertile alluvial plains, a favourable temperate climate, and a history of adaptable farming systems.(Moot et al., 2010)(Wilson, 2022).However, arable farmers face significant hurdles, including low profitability, rising input costs, labour shortages, environmental regulations, and succession planning concerns.

This report aims to provide insight from a grower’s perspective on the opportunities and challenges of arable farming in Canterbury for the future. To gain a deeper insight into ideas and experiences around my research topic, a literature review, and semi-formal Interviews were completed with 14 arable farmers across Canterbury and were used to answer the following questions:

• What do you see could be some of the biggest opportunities for arable growers in Canterbury over the next 25-50 years?
• What do you see could be the biggest challenges for arable growers in Canterbury over the next 25-50 years?
• Is the arable sector sustainable as it is today? If not, how do you see the sector progressing into the future?
• Do you think your current arable farming system is resilient to the challenges of a changing climate? If so, what practices are you using and looking into to make your system more resilient?

Opportunities lie in diversifying away from traditional arable crops of wheat, barley, and ryegrass seed into higher-value crops like horticulture, vegetable seeds, and plant proteins, leveraging technologies for precision farming, pursuing value-added and direct market strategies, and embracing collaboration through joint ventures, syndicates, and co-operatives.

However, realizing these opportunities requires overcoming the ingrained individualistic tendencies of the sector’s growers and navigating challenges, including low profitability, rising input costs, labour shortages, and a complex regulatory landscape. This challenging financial landscape poses a significant obstacle to succession planning and overall farm viability, with a high land cost relative to profitability making it exceedingly difficult for young people to enter the sector.

The key areas where the arable sector can improve its long-term viability are:

• Focus on High-Value Crops and Niche Markets
• Expand Vegetable Seed Production
• Explore the Potential of Plant Proteins
• Embrace Technology and Innovation
• Develop Value-Added Services and Direct Marketing
• Foster Collaboration and Joint Ventures
• Address Labour Shortages and the Skills Gap
• Improve Succession Planning and Farm Viability
• Enhance Sustainability and Climate Resilience

Ultimately, the long-term viability of arable farming in Canterbury depends on successfully addressing these challenges and capitalizing on emerging opportunities to ensure a profitable and sustainable future for the next generation of arable farmers.

Central Otago, a region celebrated for its thriving horticulture industry, is particularly renowned for producing high-quality stone fruit and pip fruit. The region’s unique climate, characterised by hot summers and cold winters, creates ideal conditions. The horticulture sector is expanding, with increased plantings and export volumes anticipated in the coming years. This report aims to ignite a conversation about how career progression can adapt to these changes. By examining the current state of career pathways and identifying opportunities for improvement, the report seeks to ensure that Central Otago’s horticulture industry remains robust, sustainable, and attractive to both current and future professionals.

The central question guiding this research is: How can we identify the most common career progression pathways in the Central Otago horticulture industry by analysing how the industry identifies, nurtures, and retains its future workforce? The objectives are to discover career progression paths and identify the career directions being pursued. This will highlight the areas needed to create the necessary pathways for successful growth. Additionally, the report will explore what influences career directions and assess the current effectiveness of these pathways.

The report was conducted using a combination of a literature review, surveys, and semi-structured interviews. The literature review involved analysing research papers to draw themes and identify potential gaps. Surveys were conducted via Google Forms and filled in anonymously online, while interviews provided deeper insights into individual opinions and experiences, allowing for the development of actionable recommendations based on the following key findings:

• Career Pathways and Progression: Individuals in the industry often start their careers at a young age, frequently through seasonal work. Progressing through various roles, gaining experience and moving up the career ladder. Understanding these progressions is crucial for developing targeted recruitment and retention strategies. By recognising the common entry points and routes, industry leaders can create more structured career development programs, ensuring clear pathways to advance within the industry.
  • Action: Create and publicise detailed career progression maps that outline potential career paths within the horticulture industry.
• Education and Continuous Learning: The importance of formal education, such as horticulture degrees and diplomas, is emphasised alongside the value of practical experience and ongoing learning. Continuous upskilling is necessary to keep pace with technological advancements and industry changes. Investing in education and training programs is essential for maintaining a competitive workforce. Industry bodies and educational institutions need to collaborate to provide relevant and accessible learning opportunities.
  • Action: Implement structured mentorship programs where experienced professionals can guide newcomers through their career development.
• Mentorship and Leadership: Effective mentorship is identified as another key finding for personal and professional growth. Good leadership is essential for creating opportunities and retaining talent, with experienced professionals playing a crucial role in guiding and supporting new talent. Establishing robust mentorship programs can enhance employee satisfaction and retention. By fostering a culture of mentorship, organisations can ensure that knowledge and skills are passed down effectively, helping to build a strong and capable workforce.
  • Action: Initiate marketing campaigns that highlight the modern, dynamic, and diverse nature of the horticulture industry.

By addressing these areas, the report aims to provide valuable insights and recommendations to ensure that Central Otago’s horticulture industry remains attractive and accessible as a career path, fostering a sustainable and thriving future for the sector.