Podcast: What's Next? from AgResearch

In this episode, we talk to two highly experienced AgResearch scientists who’ve spent many years working on research in the biosecurity arena, alongside the government and industry. 

Dr Axel Heiser, AgResearch’s chief scientist and a livestock health expert, talks about how New Zealand can protect itself from incursions of costly diseases hitting our farmed animals, such as bird flu and Foot and Mouth Disease, and what we have learnt from the experience of managing an outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis. 

It’s not just animal diseases that can harm New Zealand, and so our Emeritus Scientist Barbara Barratt joins us to talk about the threat posed by pests and weeds, tools to manage them in a changing climate, and how investing in the research can make us more secure as a country.    

What does the farm of the future look like and how do we get there? 

New Zealand exports over 90% of our red meat and over 95% of our milk. Our main customers have increased expectations for environmental standards and animal welfare. This means making changes to maintain access to international markets while also farming sustainably. 

In this episode we’re discussing how those expectations, alongside adapting to a changing climate, will impact how farming in New Zealand looks in the future. AgResearch Senior Scientist, Robyn Dynes explains what she thinks our farms could look like in fifty years and what we need to tackle as a country to adapt. Senior Social Scientist, James Turner talks about how these changes affect people, whether it’s actually achievable and how we can support farmers to face our coming challenges. 

Is there a place for mātauranga Māori in farming? 

Is mātauranga the same as and equal to western science and how does it work to weave it into our current farming practices and processes? 

Māori agribusinesses are a large part of the Māori economy which is on track to grow to $100 billion per year by 2030. Māori agribusinesses continue to grow and are a significant contributor to Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy as a whole. 

In this episode, we discuss what mātauranga is, how it has evolved, and its place in pastoral agriculture in Aotearoa New Zealand with AgResearch Kaiārahai Matua/Director Māori Strategy, Research and Partnerships, Ariana Estoras (Ngāti Maniapoto). We look at how mātauranga forms part of an ao Māori worldview and how that can provide opportunities for innovation with Daniel Carson (Ngāi Tahu), founder of Alps 2 Ocean Foods, a Māori agribusiness working on innovating with dairy beef and a product that doesn’t just benefit his business, but everyone in the process including New Zealand Inc.