Thursday, 27 February 2020 12:21

Demand for better water quality grows

Written by  Peter Burke
Professor Chris Anderson. Professor Chris Anderson.

Public attitudes on environmental issues are driving policy, according to the director of the Farmed Landscapes Research Centre (FLRC) at Massey University.

Speaking at the recent 33rd FLRC annual workshop in Palmerston North, Professor Chris Anderson says it’s clear the public wants clean water. He believes calls for action on this and other environmental issues are coming from a broad cross section of society and are based on the situation in NZ, but also other climate related events overseas – such as the Australian bush fires.

But he says not everyone in society understands the issues.

“We deal a lot with schools and even there you have got some people there who are really environmentally strong and focused. But some haven’t got there yet and haven’t made that change. It is the same when we talk to public bodies – there is a difference of opinion there as well.” 

Anderson says the science to deal with such issues has always been there and that a lot of good science has been done over a long period.

The themes at the workshop were on GHG emissions, nutrient management, water quality and dealing with carbon. Around 230 people – scientists, rural professionals, policy makers from central and local government and number of international speakers attended the three-day workshop. 

The sessions were, by and large, highly technical and showcased some of the projects being undertaken both here and overseas to address the multiplicity of challenges being faced by the agricultural sector to prevent damage to the environment. These also drew attention to new government policies and the targets that are being set for farmers to reduce greenhouse gases and other new policy directives. 

Anderson says these are challenging issues, but science is about responding to those challenges and informing the discussion on them. He says science continues to evolve and respond to challenges and says there is a need for educating those in the primary sector about the new regulations and some of the solutions on offer.

“The FLRC workshop has turned into a forum where we can share new ideas and experiences and get an international perspective from our overseas speakers,” he told Rural News

“It is very exciting because we are attracting a lot more people from overseas and as well the event is acting as a catalyst to putting on other events either side of it.”

More like this

From Nelson to Dairy Research: Amy Toughey’s Journey

Driven by a lifelong passion for animals, Amy Toughey's journey from juggling three jobs with full-time study to working on cutting-edge dairy research trials shows what happens when hard work meets opportunity - and she's only just getting started.

Featured

Australia develops first local mRNA FMD vaccine

Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.

NZ household food waste falls again

Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.

Editorial: No joking matter

OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.

DairyNZ plantain trials cut nitrate leaching by 26%

DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.

National

Machinery & Products

Tech might take time

Agritech Unleashed – a one-day event held recently at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton – focused on technology as an ‘enabler’…

John Deere acquires GUSS Automation

John Deere has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a globally recognised leader in supervised high-value crop autonomy,…

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

A step too far

OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…

Save us from SAFE

OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter