Crying over Spilt Milk: A Critical Assessment of the Ecological Modernisation of New Zealand’s Dairy Industry

Ecological modernization theory holds that capitalist economic structures can be transformed to avoid long-term environmental damage, through the introduction of modern environmental technologies and reforming modern institutions. Empirical evidence, drawing on ecological modernization practices in some European and North American contexts, lends support to this view. However, it is not clear yet whether the practices of ecological modernization can be applied with equal success to agricultural industries (such New Zealand's dairy sector), based on farmers as multiple producers. The New Zealand dairy industry faces political and commercial pressure to improve its environmental performance while maintaining commercial competitiveness in a global marketplace. In response to such pressures, the industry's main umbrella organization (Fonterra) has taken steps to improve the environmental management practices of the farmers who supply milk. The New Zealand dairy industry offers an example from which to assess the relevance of economical modernization theory

The Control, environmental sustainability and information management of Maori land in New Zealand

An increase in Maori land claims and the subsequent settlement of a number of land confiscation grievances have prompted calls for change to the land management, cadastral and legal regimes in New Zealand. There is little expert agreement as to Me shape any such reforms should take, but environmental planners and Maori leaders have conceded the need for an overhaul of current land information management practices. Such reforms must aspire to being legally workable, culturally appropriate and environmentally sustainable. Most land in New Zealand is subject to recent legislation (post-1984) which acknowledges concern for Maori cultural values and ancestral rights and environmental sustainability. The existence of this legislation and growing Maori involvement in formulating public policy for the management of land and environmental resources mean that Maori concepts of land management and sustainability are receiving increasing attention and are likely to influence the shape of future cadastral reforms for Maori lands

Conservation, Market Pressures and the New Zealand Dairy Sector

The New Zealand dairy industry is a highly organised, globally marketed food production system. In order to remain internationally competitive, the industry has had to adjust to flexible price regimes and the need to achieve greater production efficiencies. At the same time, the dairy industry is based on an agricultural system grounded in ecological and social specifics that can be in conflict with business aspirations. This paper outlines some of the environmental implications of modernising New Zealand’s dairy industry, focusing on the Waikato Region, which has traditionally been a major player in the country’s dairy industry. The authors question whether the dairy industry’s growth projections, which are linked to realising greater production efficiencies, are sustainable in the long run

The socioeconomic dimensions of biosecurity: the New Zealand experience

The human dimensions of biological invasions have recently become the subject of serious study. Current insight suggests that socioeconomic arrangements can foster or restrict the introduction of new species, and create the conditions for alien species to flourish or fail. Conversely, the human response to species invasions varies, according to the economic and environmental impacts of the invasion and the institutional frameworks of the human groups affected. Using the example of New Zealand, the authors chart changes in public perception of introduced species, and assess the socio-political responses to the ecological and economic consequences of introduced and invasive species. The study also outlines the organisational changes that evolved to combat invasive organisms, and suggests that cultural perceptions and socioeconomic experience of benefits and threats have been the prime determinants of public policy on biosecurity. The authors conclude that biosecurity policies in New Zealand are primarily the outcome of a complex history of European settler aspirations and concerns which attempt to reconcile the country’s economic advantage, as a major agricultural exporter, with a desire to conserve its native flora and fauna as a hallmark of New Zealand’s unique identity and image

The conservation of New Zealand’s biological heritage and the role of environmental planners

Species diversity is an important aspect of ecosystem health, and a necessary condition for long-term sustainable development. However, it is widely recognised that species extinction is on the increase, as biological diversity comes under pressure from land-use activity and environmental change. Despite an active official conservation programme, the indigenous biodiversity of New Zealand is under threat

Cultural outlooks and the global quest for sustainable management.

Culture shapes how people identify and evaluate elements of their environment, and influences their behaviour and subjective experiences. At a more pragmatic level, culture provides the social infrastructure and institutions that determine how resources are used and managed. This article highlights the links between culture and natural resource management. The authors outline contrasting points of view on the role of culture in resource and environmental management, and attempt to mediate between these conflicting positions

'Freedom’s Ramparts on The Sea': The postcolonial New Zealand landscape and the quest for sustainability

New Zealand’s colonial legacy has had a major impact on the shape of its landscape. The European settlement of New Zealand transformed both the land itself as well as the tenure arrangements that had hitherto followed traditional Maori practices. The increasing political influence of the modem conservation movement in New Zealand has been mirrored by a parallel rise in Maori engagement with environmental issues. Land tenure claims brought by the Maori under the 1970’s Treaty of Waitangi Act have enabled an alliance of Maori and environmental interests to be forged. This linkage however is very recent, and if the current unsustainable land use practices are to be mitigated in New Zealand, a synthesis of the essential elements in both cultural traditions is necessary. Culture shapes how people identify and evaluate elements of their environment, and influences their behaviour and experiences. At a more pragmatic level, culture provides the social infrastructure and institutions that determine how renewable land resources are used and managed. The authors highlight the links between postcolonial culture and landscape management in New Zealand, contrasting Pakeha-Maori points of view and attempting to mediate between these conflicting positions. These links are examined in the context of new social, economic and ecological forces that are shaping the country’s postcolonial landscape