Regenerative agriculture in Aotearoa New Zealand – research pathways to build science-based evidence and national narratives

Regenerative agriculture (RA) is proposed as a solution to reverse climate change, biodiversity loss, declining water quality and health of freshwater ecosystems, wellbeing crisis in rural and farming communities and food system dysfunctions. RA may also open overseas premium and niche markets. However, there is a lack of clarity about what RA actually is, scepticism about its claimed benefits, and uncertainty as to whether the concept is even relevant to Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). This white paper is the result of an intensive collaboration and consultation during June to November 2020. More than 70 NZ-based organisations and 200 people participated, collaborators including farmers and growers, researchers, private consultants, industry levy bodies, banks, retailers, not-for-profit organisations, overseas researchers and educators. The research underpinning this paper aimed to: (1) better understand what RA means for NZ and (2) develop a scientific framework for guiding RA research in NZ. It involved qualitative and quantitative online surveys, focus groups and literature/website searches, and focused primarily on what happens within the farmgate. Te ao Māori – the Māori worldview – is aligned to and important in the context of RA. However, whakapapa and mātauranga constitute a uniquely Māori knowledge system that is held by experts and collectively enacted by tangata whenua. From our discussions with Maori practitioners and researchers, it is clear that cultural concepts must remain grounded in te ao Māori and be guided by tikanga to ensure their integrity, including in their businesses. For tangata and whenua to benefit collectively from system transformation such as the one proposed by RA protagonists, an overview and insight into the diversity of Māori knowledge and practices for food and fibre production is needed first and also needs to be guided by tikanga. Tangata whenua and their diversity of enterprises cannot meaningfully engage in a conversation about linkages with RA until the time, space and resource for collective thinking has taken place. This work needs to be undertaken in the first instance by Māori experts and practitioners and is currently underway elsewhere