April 15, 2024
Our Land report adds nuance to farming
The Māori research impact leader for Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research has welcomed the Environment Ministry’s latest Our Land report as providing a positive foundation for change.
The report is a stocktake of the country’s natural assets and the risks and pressures placed on them.
Nikki Harcourt says the report acknowledges the importance of matauranga Māori in assessing environmental health, and its use the term natural infrastructure as a way to describe the interdependence between humans and the environment with resonate with Māori.
She says it’s not afraid to make hard calls, such as identifying the damage done by dairying or forestry in the wrong landscapes.
“The government are getting these messages and people out there on the whenua are getting the message that it’s about thinking about how to work with the land so according to where you are in the motu, that is going to determine what your soils are like and how much fertiliser you should add so it’s taking a nuanced, customised approach to what you are going,” Dr Harcourt says.
While past reports have highlighted the damage done by animal pests, Our Land 2024 also recognises weed species are a major problem in some parts of the country.