Government Investment Initiatives under the Plan of Action

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

September 2007

Support work programme for Pillars 1, 2 and 3

Description

A Technology Transfer Programme will be established to provide land managers with sufficient information and choice of products to enable and encourage them to:

reduce total greenhouse gas emissions and improve the efficiency of resource use;
adapt to a changing climate;
take advantage of new business opportunities relating to climate change.

Background

There are several ways in which farmers and foresters can reduce emissions and adapt to climate change, including by using nitrification inhibitors, applying fertilisers more efficiently, planting drought-tolerant pasture species and managing soil conservation to reduce erosion risk.

The adoption of new technologies by the land management sector can take up to 20 years. Well-targeted programmes delivered by industry with funding support will help to speed up the technology transfer and implementation process. This will be supported by research.

Initiatives

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) will work with representatives from the primary sector, local government and Maori to mid-2008 to identify activities to be included in a Technology Transfer Programme. A partnership between the Government and the primary sector will be needed to develop long-term, staged engagement with industry, farmers and foresters.

The programme is likely to focus on:

Demonstration of new technologies and practices by working with the sheep and beef, dairy, arable, horticulture and forestry sectors to: use existing demonstration farms, farm monitoring, field days and industry conferences to profile new and existing climate change technologies and land management practices to reduce emissions and adapt to a changing climate; provide support for farm environmental awards and agriculture/forestry events to incorporate climate change relevant technologies and practices; and establish an annual contestable fund for projects responding to climate change through the Sustainable Future Farming Fund (SF3). This will be based on the Sustainable Farming Fund model of supporting community of interest driven projects for the land based sectors.
education and capacity-building through upskilling rural professionals and working with the industry training organisations on climate change issues;
preparing material on climate change for farmers and foresters, their advisers and the agricultural media. This will include web-based information;
coordinating activities within and among MAF, other government agencies and programmes, and industry bodies and organisations.

These initiatives will need to respond to the varying needs of the regions, sectors and Maori regarding both mitigation of and adaptation to climate change.

Links to other government initiatives

The Technology Transfer Programme will be a major delivery mechanism for other aspects of the Plan of Action including:

the Enhanced Research Initiative (see separate sheet);
adaptation (see separate sheet);
business opportunities (see separate sheet).

Government work programmes that will contribute to climate change technology transfer outcomes are:

the Sustainable Water Programme of Action;
energy efficiency programmes;
the Biosecurity Strategy;
the East Coast Forestry Project;
the Forest Industry Development Agenda;
the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative;
the Adverse Events Policy for agriculture;
Sustainable Land Management (Hill Country Erosion).

Next steps and implementation

Development of an effective technology transfer programme will need to involve the close cooperation of the agriculture and forestry sectors, local government, Maori and other stakeholders.

The process to be followed is to be discussed with the Plan of Action Peak Group.¹

The next step is likely to involve:

convening a Technical Working Group with representatives of key partners and those involved in technology transfer;
preparing a draft joint Technical Transfer Implementation Programme by May 2008.