Source
https://ourlandandwater.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Grelet_Lang_2021_Regen_Ag_NZ_White_ePaper.pdf — original source (opens in a new tab; the file is not redistributed)
Summary
National white paper synthesising 200+ NZ scientists and practitioners to define research pathways for regenerative agriculture (RA) in Aotearoa New Zealand. Establishes a NZ-specific RA definition and 11 RA principles developed via focus groups with 21 practitioners, documents NZ environmental baselines across soil, freshwater, biodiversity, and GHG domains, maps knowledge gaps across 13 topic areas, and recommends transdisciplinary research designs that braid mātauranga Māori, farmer science, and Western empirical methods. Commissioned by Our Land and Water National Science Challenge and NEXT Foundation; 59pp; CC BY 4.0.
Key claims
NZ environmental baseline (Table 3)
- NZ topsoil (top 30cm): 90 t C/ha — 3× Australia (30 t C/ha), ~1.1× England (80 t C/ha); existing soil carbon stock of high ecological value that land management either preserves or depletes. LIT_013
- 192 million tonnes/year soil erosion; 44% from pastoral land; NZ$300 million/year economic cost — dominant land-management-driven environmental damage mechanism in NZ. LIT_013
- 95% of NZ river nutrient pollution from diffuse agricultural loss — agriculture is the primary driver of freshwater quality degradation. LIT_013
- 46% of NZ lakes >1 ha in poor or very poor ecological health — more than half of NZ lakes now ecologically degraded. LIT_013
- Agriculture accounts for nearly half of NZ’s total GHG emissions. LIT_013
- ~4,000 native species threatened; ~three-quarters of native freshwater fish threatened. LIT_013
- Agriculture: 12.4% of GDP, 78% of total merchandise exports, 86,700 employed. LIT_013
- 29–40% of NZ land has high erosion risk (citing MfE 2018). LIT_013
RA definition and principles
- No internationally agreed RA definition exists (Newton et al. 2020, systematic review); NZ definition is outcomes-focused rather than practice-prescriptive. LIT_013
- NZ RA definition (Grelet et al. 2021): “an approach to farming and food production that harnesses the power of living systems.” LIT_013
- 11 NZ RA Principles (Lang et al. 2021, 21-practitioner focus group): (1) farm is a living system; (2) context-specific decisions; (3) question everything; (4) learn together; (5) failure is part of the journey; (6) open and flexible toolbox; (7) plan for what you want, start with what you have; (8) maximise photosynthesis year-round; (9) minimise disturbance; (10) harness diversity; (11) manage livestock strategically/holistically. LIT_013
- RA is distinct from organic farming and conservation agriculture — defined by regenerative outcomes (soil function, biodiversity, water cycle), not input restrictions. LIT_013
NZ climate risk
- MfE (2016) projects 0.7–3°C warming by 2090 (RCP8.5); increased drought frequency in eastern/northern NZ; increased flood risk in western/southern NZ — community food systems must be designed for a materially different climate than the current baseline. LIT_013
- RA soil practices (ground cover, soil carbon, diverse root systems) posited as drought/flood resilience mechanisms — empirical NZ evidence remains a knowledge gap (Table 6). LIT_013
Research and technology
- Natural capital valuation and true cost accounting strongly recommended over standard farm surplus (EFS) metrics — accounts for soil carbon, biodiversity, and water quality investments. LIT_013
- Remote/proximal sensing technologies and phone apps for farmer-enabled data capture proposed as scalable environmental monitoring pathway — applicable at community scale, low-cost. LIT_013
- Transdisciplinary “Observe-Learn-Test” research cycle designed for farmer-led science — farmers as active researchers, not passive subjects; methodology models how communities could drive their own technology validation. LIT_013
Research targets
Documents to retrieve
- RT_060 — Newton P, Civita N, Frankel-Goldwater L, Bartel K, and Johns C. (2020). “What is regenerative agriculture? A review of scholar and practitioner definitions based on processes and outcomes.” Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 4. doi:10.3389/fsufs.2020.577723 — systematic review finding no agreed RA definition; key reference for thesis definitional grounding.
Research gaps
- RT_061 — NZ community-scale or small-plot RA outcomes data; current evidence base is almost entirely farm/pastoral scale (10–1,000+ ha). Community food system design requires evidence at garden or mixed smallholding scale (0.01–1 ha).
Connections
Referenced by
SSI indicators (4): I02: Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture · I06: Resistance to External Shocks · I08: Innovation & Appropriate Technology · I09: Environmental Sustainability
Sources (3): CR_023 · CR_051 · OT_129
EDT domains (2): D02: Smart Food Systems & Agriculture · D08: Biotechnology & Nature-Based Solutions
Decisions (1): D_001: Neobiome food production — regenerative…
Technologies (1): Biodynamic Farming