Agriculture

Featured image: Scion’s newest Emeritus Scientist

Scion’s newest Emeritus Scientist - Mātau Taiao

Rosemary Rangitauira • Sep 29, 2021 •

Scion has appointed Dr Tanira Kingi (Ngāti Whakaue, Te Arawa), who’s currently working with Māori landowners to find alternative ways to use their land, as its newest Emeritus Scientist. Scion’s former Research Leader in Primary Industry Systems is an agricultural economist with 30-years-experience working in the primary industry sector. Tanira says the current industry infrastructure for meat, milk and … Read More

Featured image: We managed to toilet train cows (and they learned faster than a toddler). It could help combat climate change

We managed to toilet train cows (and they learned faster than a toddler). It could help combat climate change - Hot off the press

Guest Author • Sep 14, 2021 •

Douglas Elliffe, University of Auckland and Lindsay Matthews, University of Auckland   Can we toilet train cattle? Would we want to? The answer to both of these questions is yes — and doing so could help us address issues of water contamination and climate change. Cattle urine is high in nitrogen, and this contributes to a range of environmental problems. Read More

Featured image: How big companies are targeting middle income countries to boost ultra-processed food sales

How big companies are targeting middle income countries to boost ultra-processed food sales - Hot off the press

Guest Author • Sep 14, 2021 •

Edwin Kwong, The University of Melbourne; Joanna Williams, Swinburne University of Technology; Phillip Baker, Deakin University; Rob Moodie, The University of Melbourne, and Thiago M Santos, Federal University of Pelotas   Ultra-processed foods might not be a familiar term to many people. But it is an emerging, and increasingly dominant type of food in the world. They are foods … Read More

Featured image: Genomic solutions for a plant taonga: a high-quality rewarewa genome

Genomic solutions for a plant taonga: a high-quality rewarewa genome - Genomics Aotearoa

Genomics Aotearoa • Jun 09, 2021 •

[Illustration credit: “Seven Sisters, Knightia excelsa” Jennifer Duval-Smith ] By Plant & Food Research High Quality Genomes project co-leader David Chagné The completion of the native rewarewa (Knightia excelsa) tree genome sequence is demonstrating New Zealand is now taking charge of producing genomes on its native species. These are species that are important to us, and have taonga … Read More

Featured image: Chocolate’s secret ingredient is the fermenting microbes that make it taste so good

Chocolate’s secret ingredient is the fermenting microbes that make it taste so good - Guest Work

Guest Author • Apr 05, 2021 •

Caitlin Clark, Colorado State University Whether baked as chips into a cookie, melted into a sweet warm drink or molded into the shape of a smiling bunny, chocolate is one of the world’s most universally consumed foods. Even the biggest chocolate lovers, though, might not recognize what this ancient food has in common with kimchi and kombucha: its flavors … Read More

Featured image: Looking beyond regenerative agriculture

Looking beyond regenerative agriculture - Unsorted

Robert Hickson • Mar 17, 2021 •

Regenerative agriculture, where the health and wellbeing of the environment, animals and farmers is prioritised, is gaining cachet. I see that as a necessary but insufficient change to how we manage land and watery environments. In some respects discussions about regenerative agriculture are more backward- than forward-looking. Take, for example, the UK’s Food, Farming and … Read More

Featured image: Climate Change Commission calls on New Zealand government to take ‘immediate and decisive action’ to cut emissions

Climate Change Commission calls on New Zealand government to take ‘immediate and decisive action’ to cut emissions - The Changing Climate

Guest Author • Feb 01, 2021 •

James Renwick, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand’s Climate Change Commission today released its long-anticipated advice to the government on how to reshape the economy to meet the country’s domestic and international climate change obligations. The document sets out three emissions budgets, covering 15 years to 2035 in five-yearly plans. It also provides advice … Read More

Featured image: Rationing scarce MIQ spaces

Rationing scarce MIQ spaces - The Dismal Science

Eric Crampton • Nov 13, 2020 •

Imagine yourself in the place of the MBIE boffin tasked with deciding which application for a scarce MIQ space is most deserving or most needed. The job isn’t easy. The government keeps a small number of spaces in MIQ for getting critical workers in. But somebody has to decide which workers are most critical. Applicants fill in forms to make … Read More