The agricultural industry in New Zealand, especially intensified dairy farming, faces pressures from environmental regulations and market dynamics, prompting a shift toward more sustainable practices like horticultural land use. Existing literature on land use change has primarily focused on geographical factors, leaving a gap in understanding farm-level influences on farmers' land use decisions. This study addresses this gap by analysing farm-level land use change patterns in New Zealand and identifying how farmer and farm characteristics, values, and demographics influence these decisions, using machine learning methods to enhance analytical capability. Our results indicate that younger farmers and those in horticulture/crop and sheep and beef industries are more likely to engage in land use changes, driven by environmental values and risk attitudes. The findings provide insights into drivers of rural landscape transformation among different farming sectors, emphasising the need for tailored policy and support mechanisms to manage land use transitions effectively.

Using nationally representative survey data collected in February 2025, this article examines how New Zealand households perceive food price inflation. We find that perceived food price inflation significantly exceeds the official rate, with respondents estimating food price inflation to be over seven times higher than reported figures. Perceptions vary by age and gender: women report higher inflation estimates than men, and perceived inflation decreases with age. Quantile regressions suggest that these differences are concentrated around the median and the upper quantile of the distribution of inflation perceptions. These findings highlight a misalignment between statistical reporting and lived experience, with implications for nutrition, wellbeing, and communication of economic data.

Abstract Agricultural industry associations play a significant role in supporting a nation’s food production. This review paper explores the impact of member heterogeneity on agricultural industry associations. Literature on agricultural industry associations, agricultural cooperatives and meta-organisations is integrated to build a conceptual framework of member heterogeneity. The framework proposes that member heterogeneity impacts goal-setting and decision-making processes, and that organisational structures can potentially moderate these impacts. The framework presented in this review can be applied to future research on member heterogeneity in agricultural collective action organisations and may help to inform the structuring of agricultural industry associations.

Antibiotic misuse in livestock farming poses serious threats to ecological sustainability and consumer health. Based on survey data from 1,003 meat duck farmers in five Chinese provinces, this study uses the Heckman two-stage model and the Endogenous Switching Regression model to examine how contract types influence farmers’ adoption of antibiotic substitutes and substitution intensity, and to assess the production effects of substitution. The results show that tight contracts significantly promote both adoption and substitution intensity, whereas loose contracts inhibit them. Antibiotic substitution has a certain negative effect on production performance. Under the counterfactual scenario, the survival rate of adopters would have increased by 0.277

Amidst global climate change, increasing food demand, and land-use competition between agriculture and energy production, agrivoltaic systems are emerging as a potential solution energy. However, the spatial heterogeneity of existing physical research infrastructure limits the generalizability of plant growth and growth conditions findings across diverse climate zones. This study aims to address this gap by conducting a comprehensive meta-analysis across 20 countries. Unlike previous work, our approach integrates key variables, including photovoltaic system design parameters, crop yield responses, and microclimate changes, into a unified analytical framework. It further maps the empirical evidence onto a global climate context. The analysis reveals several novel insights. First, distinct design patterns were observed in photovoltaic system deployment: small-scale installations (<1000 m2) are often associated with increased mounting heights (3.05 m vs. 2.57 m), which alters ground-level conditions. At the same time, photovoltaic installation characteristics (e.g., panel height and array size) also vary across different climate zones, reflecting differences in installation objectives (e.g., energy optimization vs. experimental). Second, we identified a previously undocumented “tipping point” in system size ( 2 ha), beyond which microclimate temperature effects reverse. Third, crop yield responses under shading vary by crop physiology and climatic zone; for example, lettuce showed tolerance to increased shading under certain environmental conditions. In addition, we suggest that a potential trade-off point may exist between crop yield and photovoltaic shading, which could enable a balance between maintaining agricultural productivity and achieving effective energy generation. These findings demonstrate that the performance of agrivoltaic systems is highly climate- and crop-dependent. Therefore, region-specific and plant-centered design principles should be central to future agrivoltaic innovations and policy frameworks. By presenting the first global climate–integrated map of agrivoltaic study locations, this work provides a foundational evidence base to guide climate-smart agrivoltaic planning and implementation.

PurposeLiquid milk has a higher nutritional value than powdered milk; however, Sri Lankans consume more powdered milk than fresh liquid milk. To increase domestic liquid milk consumption in Sri Lanka, it is vital to understand the demand for different milk products and the existing relationship between them. Therefore, this study estimates the households' demand for different milk products.Design/methodology/approachWe used the most recent Household Income and Expenditure Survey - 2019 data to study the demand for disaggregated milk products in Sri Lanka. A censored QUAIDS model was applied to estimate the price and expenditure elasticities.FindingsThe results showed that households are price-sensitive to all milk products, whereas households are more responsive to price changes in fresh liquid milk than in milk powder and flavoured liquid milk. The findings revealed that all milk products considered are substitutes for each other, and a strong substitution relationship exists between milk powder and fresh liquid milk.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses on three milk products to estimate their demand and analyse the relationships between them. The findings will help policymakers and marketers to understand how households react to changes in economic parameters, thereby allowing them to formulate effective policies and marketing strategies to increase fresh liquid milk consumption in Sri Lanka.Originality/valueDisaggregated demand studies on milk products are limited globally, and this study is the first to analyse the demand for various milk products in Sri Lanka.

A key strategy for achieving food security in Ghana is the implementation of food security projects. Unfortunately, one‐third of these projects encounter failure, primarily due to institutional shortcomings. The study demonstrates that institutional weaknesses are significant barriers to attaining food security and examines how institutional arrangements influence project outcomes. The research aims to elucidate the institutional arrangements of food security projects, identify the underlying causes of project outcomes associated with these arrangements, and assess the impact of the institutional arrangements of the external environment on the sustainability of food security project outcomes. A root and tuber project was analyzed using the Rank‐Form‐Action‐Function analytical framework. Data were collected through a mix of primary and secondary methods, employing purposive and snowball sampling techniques, alongside data triangulation and theoretical saturation through epoche . The findings reveal that the project has significantly impacted the community by achieving sustainable outcomes through strong institutional arrangements. The results underscore the need for policymakers to prioritize the institutional arrangements of the project's external environment before initiating new projects. It is crucial that both the internal and external environments are conducive to fostering robust institutional frameworks that support sustainable outcomes for food security projects.

This study explores the potential benefits of transitioning from livestock farming to high-value alternative crops as a strategy for mitigating agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in New Zealand. The government has set ambitious targets for reducing methane (CH4) emissions. However, since animal product exports play a crucial role in New Zealand’s economy, any shift in land use will have significant impacts on both the regional and national economy. We developed a GIS framework that integrated (i) growing requirements, (ii) GHG emissions and (iii) profitability for crops. Analysis of export market opportunities identified twelve high-value “alternative crops”. Availability of suitable land for crop expansion was not a limiting factor. Working with the Ministry for Primary Industries, we explored how land use change scenarios contributed to Government 2050 biogenic CH4 emission reduction targets. Doubling the area of alternative crops (a 195,000-ha increase) by reallocating land from livestock farming resulted in reducing biogenic CH4 emissions by 1.2 to 5.4

There are ongoing concerns about food security, particularly around food affordability and the nutritional quality of diets in New Zealand. While recent food price inflation has sparked conversations about overall affordability, less attention has been directed toward understanding how variations in price increases across different food categories might impact nutrition and health. Using data from Statistics New Zealand on the prices of 85 food items between 2014 and 2023, we estimated 12-month moving averages of relative real prices of sweetened foods vis-à-vis those of five other food categories: dairy, fruits, vegetables, processed meats, and unprocessed meats. Non-parametric Mann-Kendall tests and linear regressions were used to assess the trends in relative food prices. The data show that sweetened foods have become relatively inexpensive over this period. On the premise that both absolute and relative prices are important in determining dietary choices and that these choices impact health, we consider the possible negative implications of these trends. Possible reasons for the recent trends and policies to meet the challenges they pose are discussed.

Purpose With the rise of mandating climate-related disclosures (CRD), this paper aims to investigate how energy and agriculture markets are exposed to climate disclosure risk. Design/methodology/approach Using the multivariable simultaneous quantile regression and data from 1 January 2017 to 29 February 2024, the authors examine daily and monthly responses of energy and agriculture markets to climate disclosure risk, energy risk, market sentiment, geopolitical risk and economic policy risk. The sample covers the global market, Australia, Canada, European Union (EU), Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK and the USA. Findings The results show that climate disclosure risk creates both positive and negative shocks in the energy and agriculture markets, and the impacts are asymmetric across quantiles in different economies. The higher the climate disclosure risk, the greater impact of crude oil future on the energy sector in North America (Canada and the USA) and Europe (EU and the UK), but no greater effects in Asia Pacific (Australia, New Zealand and Singapore). The agriculture sector can hedge against economic policy and geopolitical risks, but it is highly exposed to climate disclosure and energy risks. Originality/value This study timely contributes to the modest literature on the asymmetric effects of climate disclosure risk on the energy and agriculture markets at the global and national levels. The findings offer practical implications for policymakers and investment practitioners in understanding financial effects of mandating CRD to diversify risks depending upon market conditions and policy uncertainty.

Aotearoa is in a globally unique position regarding its high level of renewable electricity generation. However, increased demand has led to greater pressure to diversify green energies and increase infrastructure capacity. To date, photovoltaics has received relatively low uptake, particularly in the residential market. Consumer behaviour has been changing with individuals becoming increasingly climate conscious, making purchase decisions that consider the triple bottom line. This study seeks to understand consumer attitudes and social acceptability of photovoltaics. It also investigates what incentives might encourage greater uptake of photovoltaics in Aotearoa. To explore this, we surveyed 517 individuals from across New Zealand. The results show that information practices have a direct impact on social acceptability, while also being mediated by perceived risks and perceived benefits. However, there was no significant support for the role of emotions in influencing social acceptability. An explorative analysis of possible purchase incentives revealed free installation to be the most attractive consumer purchase incentive, whilst annual rebates are considered the least attractive. This highlights the opportunity for policymakers and corporate actors to engage in information campaigns and incentive programmes to inform consumers and remove barriers to photovoltaic technology adoption.

This research explored the characteristics of small, rural, farm-support agribusinesses (SRFSAs) using 12 case studies in Canterbury, New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 SRFSA owner-managers to identify the important industry characteristics they possess, the challenges they face, and the resilience strate- gies they deploy for survival. The study revealed that vital industry characteristics include community relation- ships, community infrastructure, the supply of suitable labour, and the surrounding land-use. SRFSAs confront challenges related to seasonality, specialized assets, labour, finances, and regulation. Crucial for survival is the owner-manager, including their background and skillset, their focus on operational excellence, and their ability to develop robust strategy.

Innovation and technology are a feature of New Zealand's dairy sector. To overcome current challenges, dairy farmers require agile and multi-dimensional innovation, supported by forward-looking and integrated policy from both the sector and government. In this paper, we outline some of the current dairy sector challenges, and potential technologies to address these challenges. We focus on the future for digital agriculture innovation and discuss policy approaches to enable the sector to leverage digitalisation. These approaches include co-innovation, responsible innovation, multi-scale approaches, micro-innovation and poly-innovation and mission-oriented innovation. Digital agriculture and policy may interact in two ways: (1) policy may be used to enhance digital agriculture innovation and, (2) digitalisation itself may act to enhance agricultural policy design and delivery. Overall, innovation policy requires greater directionality, use of policy bundles and a focus on technology as a mediator of new dairy farming practices and institutional configurations.

Understanding factors that influence trade-offs between agricultural expansion and forest conservation is important in managing competing land-use objectives. This paper applies elements of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to distinct farming business ownership models in Zambia to gain insights into factors that agricultural land managers take into account when considering land-use trade-off decisions which involve agricultural expansion into natural habitats. Results showed that the market domain was weighted above other domains, followed by the financial domain. When environmental considerations were pitted against other factors such as markets and finance, agricultural land managers were likely to trade off environmental concerns. Furthermore, availability of input subsidies via the agricultural Food Input Support Programme (FISP) influenced the decision to expand, particularly for the small-scale ownership model. This suggests that agricultural policies and strategies aimed at promoting agricultural productivity may require accompanying measures to safeguard forest ecosystems from agricultural expansion. Key differences in the factors influencing expansion decisions were evident among ownership models suggesting that ownership types do have an impact on factors considered. This highlights the need to advance tailored strategies that address differences in priorities and decision making emanating from variations in farming business ownership models.

The current study sought to investigate the factors influencing the conversion of forest lands to agricultural areas, which is primarily a result of agricultural expansion. This phenomenon is recognized as a significant driver of land use and land cover change in Ghana. Data was collected from land managers (commercial and subsistence farmers) who are major decision-makers on accelerated farm land expansion in districts known for large-scale food and tree crop production. The method used for data collection was the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). APH was used to assess factors that influence farmers' decisions to expand their farms. These are economic, environmental, social, and policy factors that were weighted to determine the most important factors of agricultural expansion. Study results showed that economic factors were weighted above other factors in terms of importance when it came to making decisions on farm expansion. Environmental and social factors were second and third, respectively, while policy factors were weighted as the least important factors. The study provides valuable insight into key factors that influence land managers farm expansion decisions and how land-use change can be addressed. The study concludes that the Analytic Hierarchy Process is a useful method for analyzing multiple factors considered by farmers when expanding their farms, despite its limitations.

This paper investigates the influence of the risk perception of farmer−herder (FH) conflicts on rural households’ production decisions. Extending the farm household model to include the risk perception of farmer−herder conflicts, we test hypotheses derived using primary data from 401 rural households in Nigeria. Results indicate that higher risk perception of FH conflict reduces fertiliser use and increases the time allocated for farm work. Dividing households based on their risk aversion, we find that risk-averse households rent-in significantly less cropland compared to risk-taking households. Findings highlight the need for policies that sustainably tackle FH conflicts for improved agricultural production.

PurposeThis paper aims to empirically investigate the role of product positioning in the launch of food and drink products using a large dataset of new product development by food companies in Australia (AU) and New Zealand (NZ). As such, positioning through credence attribute claims can be associated with product launch strategies, including brand-new products, expansion of product ranges, new packaging and relaunch, as a response to market demand.Design/methodology/approachText analysis was used to investigate the descriptions of food claims using Structured Query Language, providing a word list of food claims and further filtered and categorised into groups of claims. Multinomial regression models were then employed to analyse the association between product launch strategies and food claims adopted by firms.FindingsThe results of this paper provide evidence that positioning via food claims play an important role in product launch strategies in both AU and NZ. Types of food claims matter differently to firms' product launch decisions in the two markets. The “green” and “ethical” attributes are found to be associated with new launches in NZ but not in AU. Claims that are seen as most important for consumers are more likely to be engendered for the more costly launch approach.Originality/valueThis study is amongst the first studies that addresses the role of positioning in product launch strategies of food companies. The results and findings provide insights into the different prevailing credence attributes from the firm side and help policymakers to regulate the delivery of information about credence attributes to consumers.