Desired outcomes from best management practices for sustainable land management
The desired outcomes from best management practices vary somewhat in how they are perceived, depending on perspective of the person or group.
From a farmer perspective the key issues are clearly grounded in the farm business, and the need to have increasingly better information on which to make decisions. The focus is on viability – financial, ecological and social.
Desired farmer outcomes include:
- Being in control of one’s life and one’s business
- Maintaining a profitable business
- Optimising external inputs into the farm system
- Minimising risks
- Having the capacity to cope with environmental and economic change
- Enabling the next generation to inherit healthy land and water and a sound business
- Enabling land managers to measure, analyse and modify all aspects of their decision-making to meet changing demands
- Enabling conservation values to be maintained in an equitable manner
- Being able to demonstrate that they are making informed management decisions
- Want to be able to relate different types of information (e.g. vegetation, soils, management)
- Want to be able manage conservation values for present and future generations
By comparison, the government view, as summarised from "Sustainable Land Management: A Strategy for New Zealand" (1996), is more directed at achieving environmental responsibility. The outcomes sought here are to :
- Maintain the potential for NZ soils
- Maintain or enhance water quality
- Avoid, mitigate and remedy impacts of land-related hazards
- Maintain catchments for downstream and coastal users
- Maintain cultural values, including Maori.
- Maintain aesthetic, ecological and conservation values related to land and water
- (Achieve) adoption of skills and technologies to provide for social and economic well-being
Although the outcomes are not irreconcilable, the farmers clearly have quite a different focus from government. However, if farmers can achieve their local objectives there will be considerable progress towards government’s desired outcomes. Recognising and understanding the farmer perspective is essential for achieving actions on the ground.
Contact for Enquiries
MAF Information Services
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND
Fax: +64 4 894 0721
Contact this person
