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Conflicts between being a “Good Farmer” and freshwater policy: A New Zealand case study

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Abstract

Strategies that motivate agrifood producers to adopt more sustainable practices are a critical component for a sustainable future. This case study examines farmer attitudes to a recently released New Zealand agricultural policy aimed at improving freshwater quality by restricting agricultural activities. Our study interprets interviews of nine individuals managing a range of dairy and sheep farming operations to explore how these farmers manage societal expectations of being a ‘good farmer’ in the context of the new regulations. Four themes were developed to capture perceptions of participants: the vested interest of farmers in positive community engagement and being seen as a ‘good’ farmer; the need to manage farms prudently for future generations; the unique geographical and environmental conditions on each farm and their concerns about the lack of acknowledgment of differences across land types in New Zealand; and the unintended consequences of the new regulations for rural communities. Overall, the themes suggest that the way the policy was enacted conflicts with perceptions of a ‘good farmer’ and good farming practice, resulting in identity conflicts for the farming community and reduced motivation to adopt alternative practices.

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Notes

  1. See Koolen-Bourke and Peart (2022) for an overview of the historical development of the NPS-FM.

  2. Freshwater policies a ‘moving beast’; Otago Daily Times, 22 September 2020.

  3. Water rules ‘unworkable’; Farmers Weekly, 21 August 2020.

  4. Farmers count costs of new freshwater regulations; Stuff, 3 September 2020.

  5. https://www.groundswellnz.co.nz/.

  6. “Contour” refers to the criterion used in NPS-FM 2020 to define land as low slope and therefore subject to additional regulation. The low slope map is likely to change following consultation (Ministry for the Environment & Ministry for Primary Industries, 2021).

  7. “Re-sow date” refers to the requirement in NPS-FM 2020 that areas put into winter grazing crops need to be re-sown into pasture by 1 November (Spring) nationally to reduce erosion and sedimentation risk to adjacent waterways.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to the study participants who freely gave us their time and opinions. This study was supported by He Kaupapa Hononga: Climate Change Network, University of Otago.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    S. Walton

  2. Department of Botany, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    J. M. Lord & A. J. Lord

  3. Department of Economics, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    A. J. Lord & V. Kahui

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  1. S. Walton
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Correspondence to V. Kahui.

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Walton, S., Lord, J.M., Lord, A.J. et al. Conflicts between being a “Good Farmer” and freshwater policy: A New Zealand case study. Agric Hum Values 41, 387–392 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-023-10471-1

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