Farmers' environmental management groups provide social connection instead

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-03-10 07:44

New Zealand

PHOTO: Werner Sevenster on Unsplash

A small NZ study finds that catchment groups - typically set up by farmers to address shared local environmental issues - may have some benefits, but there's no evidence they're driving substantial environmental initiatives. In interviews, Canterbury farmers said they viewed catchment groups as trusted advisors that helped them respond to new regulations, as well as providing social connection and increasing community resilience. The study authors say catchment groups tend to influence change incrementally, and it's not clear whether these small changes benefit ecosystems. However, they say building trust through such groups may be just as critical as regulation in achieving sustained environmental and community outcomes.

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Research Taylor and Francis Group, Web page

Journal/
conference: Critical Insights in Agriculture

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Bioeconomy Science Institute

Funder: This research was funded by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment’s Strategic Science Investment Fund. This research was approved by the Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research social ethics process—application number 2425/24.

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