3. East Coast North Island Sustainability Issues
(MAF Policy Technical Paper 98/4)
This paper provides the results of a survey of 23 Maori and 26 non-Maori farmers in the East Coast of the North Island on their perceptions about the economic, environmental and community sustainability issues, and the actions taken to manage these issues.
Concepts such as ‘sustainability’ and ‘well-being’ were discussed and defined. Well-being implied personal factors such as financial success, personal and family happiness and personal health. Sustainability was assessed in production and financial returns, and considerable effort was being expended by farmers on ensuring their farm businesses were sustainable now and in the future.
While the farms owned by Maori respondents were not currently performing at as high a level as the non-Maori farms, the survey showed a very significant uptake of technology by Maori farms, with significant improvements anticipated for these farms in the future.
Contact for Enquiries
Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
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