- Objective Title:Calibration of resource indexes
- Objective Title:Financial indicators of sustainable farming systems
- Objective Title:Financial indicators at farm, regional and national levels
- Objective Title:The relationship between farm financial resources and environmental effects of farming
8.3 - Indicators
8.3.1
| Objective Title:Calibration of resource indexes Research Leader: Mr T Parminter Institution:AgResearch, Whatawhata Research Centre |
This project will transform the subjective indicators already used by most land owners into indexes of resource condition based upon objective criteria. They will be able to be used by most land owners to set themselves targets for improving resource management and to track changes over time. Calibration of the indexes will enable regional councils and territorial authorities to use resource assessments provided by land owners to supplement existing data bases on resource condition. Calibration will also enable subjective indicators and scientific tests to be used to complement each other. The research will be carried out by having groups of farmers travel to common examples of water and vegetation at varying levels of resource condition. Farmer assessments based upon their use of the scales will then be calibrated against scientific measurements at the same sites.
8.3.2
| Objective Title:Financial indicators of sustainable farming systems Research Leader: Ms N Shadbolt Institution:Massey University Department of Agricultural and Horticultural Systems Management |
Under a free market economy the nature and structure of farming systems are subject to rapid change. Farm size, land values, and sources of revenue are someof the factors that change as farmers respond to market demand. Flexibility and liquidity are two important features of the ‘post subsidy’ financial management of NZ farms. Both the traditional and more recent indicators used to measure the financial health of a business must be evaluated with respect to their ability to measure the economic sustainability of farming businesses over time.
8.3.3
| Objective Title:Financial indicators at farm, regional and national levels Research Leader: Ms N Shadbolt Institution:Massey University Department of Agricultural and Horticultural Systems Management |
The relevant attributes or components of financial indicators of sustainable agriculture may differ at the farm, regional and national levels. Economic sustainability at an aggregate level may overlook detail relevant at the farm level and similarly some on-farm measures could lose their relevance or applicability as aggregation occurs. The grouping of farms or blocks within farms by land use with respect to environmental sustainability may not be the same grouping required to achieve economic sustainability.
8.3.4
Analysis of the linkages between driving forces, state and response (i.e. the DSIR model) is proposed as a suitable method to develop an understanding of the relationship between the causes and the effects of agriculture’s impact on the environment. An improved knowledge of the economic factors in particular that determine and influence these effects is a feature of this research but interpretation of these indicators may need to be complemented by other (e.g. biophysical and social) indicators, and be seen within the overall context of the set or appropriate sub-set of indicators.
Contact for Enquiries
Farm Monitoring Programme Manager
Monitoring and Evaluation
MAF Policy
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0623
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
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