Agriculture

How plant-based meat is stretching New Zealand’s cultural and legal boundaries - Guest Work

Guest Author • Dec 05, 2019 •

• artificial meat,
• Commerce Commission,
• fast food,
• meat consumption,
• plant-based meat

Samuel Becher, Victoria University of Wellington and Jessica C Lai, Victoria University of Wellington Earlier this year, the New Zealand-based pizza chain Hell Pizza offered a limited-edition “Burger Pizza”. Its customers weren’t told that the “meat” was plant-based. Some customers complained to the Commerce Commission, which enforces consumer law in New Zealand. Yet, others did not mind … Read More

Political parties and GMOs: we all need to move on - Code for life

Grant Jacobs • Nov 14, 2019 •

• biosynthesis,
• climate change,
• gene editing,
• genetically modified organisms,
• gmo,
• GMOs,
• Green Party,
• New Zealand,
• Vaccine,
• Zero Carbon Bill

Recently more than 150 post-graduate students and young scientists presented an open letter to the Green Party via The Spinoff, encouraging them to reconsider their position on genetic modification. Their target is tackling climate change issues.[1] Can any party continue to be dismissive about genetic modification (GM) contributing to better agriculture? We all want safe food, and … Read More

Shocks to the system - FutureworkNZ

Guest Author • Sep 11, 2019 •

• farming,
• primary industries,
• sheep,
• synthetic wool,
• Technology,
• wool

Nik Green As a small country that’s far away from most of the world, it’s not surprising that many have worried about New Zealand’s exposure to shocks from things like technology. New Zealand has been hit by many such shocks over its history, although they’ve not always been negative for work or incomes. For many New Zealanders of my … Read More

Regenerative farming can help grow food with less impact - Unsorted

Guest Author • Sep 11, 2019 •

• Agriculture,
• carbon emissions,
• climate change,
• soil,
• soil carbon

Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz I would like to know to what extent regenerative agriculture practices could play a role in reducing carbon … Read More

Apocalypse Cow - The Dismal Science

Michael Reddell • Jul 02, 2019 •

• dairy industry,
• Dairy Industry Restructuring Act,
• DIRA,
• Fonterra

That was the title of Wellington economist Peter Fraser’s talk at Victoria University last Friday lunchtime on why Fonterra has failed (it is apparently also a term in use in various bits of popular culture, all of which had passed me by until a few moments ago – and a Google search).    Peter is a former public servant … Read More

Beyond the Robofarm - Ariadne

Robert Hickson • Apr 03, 2019 •

• Agriculture,
• farming,
• future,
• innovation,
• New Zealand,
• robotics,
• science system,
• Technology

It’s easy to get momentarily excited about robots on the farm, particularly if they are close to home, picking apples or herding stock. Robots have been rolling out onto farms elsewhere for several years and the pace is picking up, so NZ is in … Read More

Not cow farts - Code for life

Grant Jacobs • Feb 09, 2019 •

• cattle,
• cow,
• cow fart,
• methane

You may have heard or read media outlets talking of cow farts.[1] This tweet from  University of California at Davis animal biotechnology/genomics scientist, Alison Van Eenennaam might help – I’m sure I’ve been guilty of lazily using it. Eructation is a very polite and fancy way of saying burp. As the dictionary puts it, “a belch”. (Yes, … Read More

Satellite imagery of the Nelson bush fire - Out of Space

Duncan Steel • Feb 09, 2019 •

• bush fires,
• Earth observation,
• natural disasters,
• Nelson,
• remote sensing,
• satellites,
• Tasman District

The area burnt in the ongoing bush fire in the Nelson-Tasman region, largely around Pigeon Valley near Wakefield, can easily be seen in satellite imagery collected in recent days.  Earth observation satellites frequently cross New Zealand and, clouds allowing, collect imagery of the land and sea below. In later posts I will discuss such data collection in more detail, but … Read More

Strongest opponents of GM think they know best but actually know the least - Code for life

Grant Jacobs • Jan 17, 2019 •

• Dunning-Kruger,
• GE,
• gene therapy,
• genetic engineering,
• GM,
• gmo

A study just out shows that the strongest opponents of GM (genetic modification) think they know the subject well, but in fact know the least. What does this means for science communication? Especially contentious topics. Doubly so where deliberate misinformation is being offered. Similarly are their lessons for politicians? In New Zealand politicians seem too timid to try correct … Read More

Glyphosate and TIME magazine: writer employed by advocacy group a dubious choice - Code for life

Grant Jacobs • Nov 24, 2018 •

• Carey Gillam,
• Dwayne Lee Johnson,
• glyphosate,
• Johnson,
• non-Hodgkin lymphoma,
• TIME magazine

TIME magazine has a story on DeWayne ‘Lee’ Johnston who took Monsanto to court claiming RoundUp caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma.[1] The story has obvious appeal, but is crying out for balance and it’s provenance is, to be kind, awkward. I’d love to read his account of his experiences since the trial — but from a source I … Read More