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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.

Market focused

The Sustainable Management Fund has funded an environmental management system for dairy farmers. The system was developed by the New Zealand Dairy Research Institutein partnership with the NZ Dairy Board and is called Market Focused.

This recognises the importance of New Zealand’s clean green image to our international trade, sets out key animal welfare and environmental objectives, and provides guidance on how they can be achieved.

Dexcel is also being funded by the Sustainable Management Fund to develop specialist discussion groups, which focus on best environmental practice for dairy farmers. These groups will initially focus on water quality and quantity. Dexcel will make available practical action-orientated approaches to action on the ground.

For more information on these projects visit the Sustainable Management Fund project results.