Introduction
To assist the agriculture and horticulture sectors maximise their contribution to New Zealand’s economy the Ministry of Agriculture (soon to be the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) has a key role in integrating economic, social and environmental factors within a sustainable agricultural industry and land management framework.
Sustainable land use depends on:
- the use and practice of systems which maintain or enhance the ability of people and communities to provide for their social and cultural well-being,
- the economic viability of agriculture or other land uses,
- maintenance of the natural resource base of industries dependent on the land (eg agriculture, forestry and tourism),
- maintenance of other ecosystems influenced by agricultural or forestry activities, and
- land use and industry practices.
The achievement of each of these conditions depends on, among other things, the people involved in the land based industries having information on, and the capacity to manage, the various socio-economic factors and social processes which promote sustainability. These include:
- the factors enabling farm and forestry production practices to be placed on an ecologically and economically sustainable footing;
- the linkages (and inter-personal relationships) between the farm business and the household, and between the business/family and their associated local and regional communities;
- the processes or mechanisms required to manage the inter-relationships between farm and otherland-based businesses and the wider economy and society in which they operate;
- the factors encouraging the economic vitality of rural communities and the social "health" or well-being of farmers and others living in rural areas;
- the processes of change impacting on rural communities and rural industries, and how these may be managed;
- best business practices, new technologies and improved ways of doing things;
- the skills required for self-management to cope with new business, family and social pressures;
- opportunities for "adjustment" or diversification into new products or business ventures using a range of resources in addition to, or instead of, agriculture and forestry.
The Ministry has some specific responsibilities in supporting producers and rural communities achieve these outcomes. Its role is to facilitate the provision of information, particularly information which will enable farmers and rural people to make informed choices about what they will do about issues that concern them. By disseminating government-held information, the Ministry encourages rural people to have input into the development of government policies and programmes which impact on the rural sector.
More directly, the Ministry provides information on its own policies and programmes, such as information to promote and facilitate sustainable resource use practices, and agricultural and forestry development on Maori land.
The Ministry also has a role to work with other agencies to facilitate the provision of a business environment conducive to the development of sustainable land management, rural industries and communities. This includes evaluating the effectiveness of the Government’s interventions, and developing policy advice and legislation to support the Government’s strategic objectives for the agricultural and forestry industries.
Over the past few years, the Ministry of Agriculture has sought, through its research, analysis, policy advice and facilitation functions, to improve understanding of the social conditions required for the achievement of sustainable land management, rural industries and communities.
Its work is aimed not just at farmers and the rural sector, but at encouraging colleagues from other central government agencies to evaluate the social (as well as economic) impacts of their policies on rural industries and communities.
The intended outcome of this work is to minimise social constraints to the adoption of sustainable industry and resource management practices, and to achieve the social conditions necessary for the adoption of sustainable land management practices. These outcomes feed into the Government’s general policy of encouraging economic growth and social cohesion.
The following areas of MAF’s work are used to illustrate how MAF’s activities and policy interventions are advancing the recognition and adoption of sustainable rural industry and land management principles (even though they may not be expressed in such terms) and how this work consequently contributes to local and regional economic development.
Contact for Enquiries
Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
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