This newsletter is one of the ways we will keep you informed about our research progress, focusing on areas relevant to primary industries, local and central government policy makers, and those who work with the primary sector. Whether it’s sharing success stories, highlighting research insights, or providing resources, we hope our newsletter series over the next 2 years will be a valuable resource for everyone in our network.
For more information about our programme, please head to the Moving the Middle website.
I hope you enjoy some of the insights and stories in our first edition.
Suzie Greenhalgh
Moving the Middle Programme Lead
Moving the Middle Research Programme Overview
Our 5-year Endeavour research programme (2021–2026) aims to give rural land managers greater confidence to improve their environmental performance voluntarily. While many farmers are willing to make the changes needed to protect the environment and sustain their businesses, others are overwhelmed by information overload and the complexity of the multiple systems and pressures they face.
Providing more information, tools or technologies will not bring about the scale of change required. To empower real change, our research looks at the often-ignored human dimension of the systems affecting farmers and growers (e.g. financial, market, policy, societal/community) to identify places in these systems to intervene (leverage points) that will reduce pressures coming from these interacting systems.
Moving the Middle has five key areas of research:
- complex systems that influence farmer decision-making
- effective voluntary initiatives to improve environmental performance
- alternative financial lending options and Māori agribusiness transition
- non-traditional stakeholders who influence land management decisions
- narratives related to environmental decision-making and policy formation.
Our research is crucial for sustainable land management and the broader environmental goals of New Zealand.
