We grow more food than we need in Aotearoa and yet many people are going hungry. So how do we connect production and distribution to make sure we look after all our people? In this episode we hear about projects that looked at reconnecting people with the source of their food, through initiatives like school meal programmes and re-establishing thriving marae gardens. We’ll hear that being connected to culturally meaningful foods – from growing, through to cooking and preserving – can help rebuild cultural identity and wellbeing, and provide food resilience for the wider community. More information: Providing Healthy Food for Children in Schools in Aotearoa: Factsheet https://ourlandandwater.nz/outputs/providing-healthy-food-for-children-in-schools-in-aotearoa-factsheet/ Pā to Plate Grower’s Guide https://ourlandandwater.nz/outputs/pa-to-plate-growers-guide/ Speakers: Tanira Kingi (Climate Change Commission), Paul Voigt (Nikau Pacific Group), Derrylea Hardy (Massey University), Daniel Morrimire (Manawatū Food Action Network)

Māori ways of thinking about land and water offer insights into ways of growing food that are more resilient, healthy and prosperous.  In this episode we’ll hear about some ways the systems-thinking, holistic approaches to farming in te ao Māori have been demonstrated to enable effective local solutions, leading the way for others. We’ll hear about the leadership being shown by Māori agribusinesses and how those businesses are influencing the future of our primary sector.  More information: Future Leaders https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952998584 How Do We Create Change in Aotearoa? https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952996530 Implementing Te Mana o Te Wai https://ourlandandwater.nz/project/implementing-te-mana-o-te-wai/ Pūhoro STEMM Academy https://www.puhoro.org.nz/ Guidelines for the use of Pohewa Pae Tawhiti to support decisions around changes in land use https://ourlandandwater.nz/outputs/guidelines-for-the-use-of-pohewa-pae-tawhiti-to-support-decisions-around-changes-in-land-use/ Speakers: Kemp Reweti (Pūhoro STEMM Academy), Tina Porou (Poipoia), John Reid (Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga), Tanira Kingi (Climate Change Commission)

Local community involvement is one of the keys to the long-term health of our rivers and lakes, and communities like catchment groups can play a major role in land-use transitions. Over eight years of research, we’ve learned about the support catchment groups need to meet both their own goals and the expectations their funders have of them. In this episode, we hear how catchment groups are connecting and leading local initiatives that support landowners to investigate new opportunities and adopt change together. More information: Catchment Group of Potential and Ways of Working https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952204690 Panel on Catchment Groups Reveals a Key Tension https://ourlandandwater.nz/CGpanel Research into Action https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952998054 Practical Tools and Approaches to Begin Navigating Land-Use Change https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952174883 Tīmata Method video and factsheet https://ourlandandwater.nz/resource-finder/?_search=T%C4%ABmata+Method Going with the grain: Changing land uses to fit a changing landscape https://pce.parliament.nz/publications/going-with-the-grain-changing-land-uses-to-fit-a-changing-landscape/ Speakers: Bridget Jonkers (NZ Landcare Trust), Ed Challies (University of Canterbury), Claudia Lyons (Scarlatti), Katie Owen (Ministry for the Environment), Geoff Simmons (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment), Alison Dewes (Tipu Whenua), Mandy Bell (Wai Wānaka)

We’ve heard in previous episodes that in parts of New Zealand we’ll need some land-use change to reach the water quality we want for our rivers and lakes, but paying for this change is a huge challenge. The scale of change is large, and many farms don’t have the funds – so if our society wants this change, how does society pay? In this episode, we’ll hear about the most developed solution to help farmers pay for change: increase the value of the food we export by making farm management decisions that produce environmentally friendly products that fetch a premium price overseas. We’ll also hear some edgier ideas for funding change, like biodiversity incentives, and how collectives of farmers can grow value together. More information: Incentivising and Rewarding Change https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952997622 The Value Project https://thevalueproject.nz/ Revitalise Te Taiao https://revitalisetetaiao.co.nz/ Novel financing solutions for land use change infographic https://doi.org/10.57935/AGR.26002960.v1 ‘Increasing value’ resources: https://ourlandandwater.nz/topic/increasing-value/ Speakers: Caroline Saunders (AERU, Lincoln University), James Turner (AgResearch), Carla Muller (PerrinAg)

One of the main findings from Our Land and Water is that we now know where mitigation strategies won’t be enough, and land use needs to change to meet New Zealanders’ expectations for water quality.  This episode focuses on how we can add more diversity on individual farms – not just what else we can grow, but how we can grow a more diverse mix of products on a small scale. This can add resilience to our changing climate and to the volatility of commodity prices, and we’ve tested some good approaches for connecting farmers to consider diversification options. However, the scale of change required to meet our water quality ambitions poses a huge challenge in some parts of New Zealand.  More information: Are Mosaics Of Land Use Really a Solution? https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952172606 Land Use Options in Waimakariri https://ourlandandwater.nz/outputs/land-use-options-in-waimakariri/ Synthesis Scenarios for Future Land Use https://ourlandandwater.nz/project/future-land-use-scenarios/ Speakers: Lee Matheson (PerrinAg), Erin Harvie (Waimakariri Landcare Trust), Tanira Kingi (Climate Change Commission), John Burke (Pukekauri Farm) 

Researchers in Our Land and Water have catalogued a wide range of land-use opportunities for Aotearoa that expand the possibilities you might have previously considered for the future of your land. They’ve gathered all the robust information that was available about those land use options, and made it free to access, to inform financially sound land-use decisions.  This episode looks at different aspects of how and where we could change land use in New Zealand.  More information: Practical Tools and Approaches to Begin Navigating Land-Use Change https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952174883 Where Land-Use Change is Needed – A Deeper Dive https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952173888 Data Supermarket https://landuseopportunities.nz/ Worker Requirements by Land Use https://landftes.scarlatti.co.nz/ Growing for Good: A ‘Win-Win-Win’ Plan for Future Food Production https://ourlandandwater.nz/outputs/growing-for-good-a-win-win-win-plan-for-future-food-production/ Speakers: Rich McDowell (AgResearch/Lincoln University), Linda Lilburne (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research), Kenny Bell (Scarlatti)

We hear a lot about national regulations that are driving change on farms to improve water quality and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But the drivers for change are also coming from much further away.  In this episode, we hear about the influence of international trade deals and expectations of governments and consumers in Europe, which tends to lead and influence public opinion in other markets. We’ll also hear about technology as a driver for change, and the possible impact of alternative proteins on New Zealand’s dairy sector. Consumer demand for non-animal and low-footprint protein is also likely to drive change, and we’ll hear about the exciting potential of producing protein from pasture.  More information: The Context For Change https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952174423 OANZ Webinar: EU Green Deal Impact on NZ’s Land-based Primary Producers https://www.oanz.org/new-blog/eugreendeal-webinar How, Where and Why Alternative Proteins Will Change Farming in New Zealand https://vimeo.com/935314846 Beyond meat and milk https://ourlandandwater.shorthandstories.com/beyond-meat-and-milk/index.html Pasture for Humans https://doi.org/10.57935/AGR.26001775.v1 Speakers: Tiffany Tompkins (Organics Association of NZ), Jon Manhire (The Agribusiness Group), Chris Lewis (BakerAg)

For the past eight years, Our Land and Water has funded research with the goal of improving the health of our rivers and lakes here in Aotearoa. To do that, we needed more information about the state of our waterways. We determined which of our catchments are most vulnerable to contamination and why, what their pressures are, and where pressure can be removed through better farm management. The challenge to improve our freshwater is bigger and more complicated than we thought in 2016. We know a lot more about how bad things, are and will get under climate change. In this episode, we’ll hear about the size of the gap between the current state of our freshwater and our expectations.  More information: Research Findings Brief: Current state of water contaminants compared to bottom lines https://doi.org/10.57935/AGR.26002357.v1 How Far Have We Come? https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952156163 What Has Worked and What needs to Change? https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952173332 Where Land-Use Change is Needed – A Deeper Dive https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952173888 Practical Tools and Approaches to Begin Navigating Land-Use Change https://vimeo.com/showcase/11211827/video/952174883 Speakers: Rich McDowell (AgResearch/Lincoln University), Ton Sneldar (LWS)