Long vs Short Time Frame
New Zealand has been farmed for a considerable length of time and, apart from intensification, our agricultural systems and their interaction with the environment are well established. It will take time to redress the biophysical consequences of past, and some current, farming practices. Individual and community change is a relatively slow process. This is in contrast to the "haste" sought by some politicians and officials.
It is, however, imperative to implement robust, long-term and consistent policy frameworks for sustainable agriculture. This is not an argument for procrastination. Rather it is a challenge to politicians, scientists, facilitators and farmers and growers alike to recognise the need for long-term, consistent application of the principles and practices of sustainable agriculture. Short-term politically motivated quick fix solutions will almost certainly fail. They have in the past.
These failures have been recognised and in more recent times Central Government in particular has been developing various strategies and longer term programmes aimed at longer term support for sustainable agriculture:
- 2010 Strategy;
- for Sustainable Land Management;
- Science Strategy for Sustainable Land Management; and, for example
- Sustainable Agriculture Facilitation Programme.
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