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Agricultural impacts

New Zealand’s climate, fertile soil and relative isolation make it ideal for almost every kind of production – from sheep and cattle to cropping and horticulture.

Until recently we haven’t really understood how land is affected by the ways we use and manage it. In some areas we have:

  • soil erosion
  • silted up streams, rivers and estuaries
  • waterways polluted by agricultural and urban runoff.

Where these problems conflict with our “clean, green” image, they threaten a significant part of our export income and are jeopardising the wellbeing of future generations of New Zealanders.

To tackle these issues we need to work in partnership with industry groups and local government, making use of good scientific information.

Last updated: 1 November 2010