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Exploring New Zealand export market consumer preferences for emission reductions in agri-food production
No full textAgricultural greenhouse gas emissions make up 50 per cent of New Zealand’s gross emissions. Reducing these emissions is needed to achieve our 2050 target, including the requirement to reduce biogenic methane emissions by 24–47 per cent by 2050. Other jurisdictions are starting to consider how trade levers can be used to enforce sustainability requirements on imported goods. While market pressure poses a risk to the sector, it also presents an opportunity to meet the market with low-emissions agricultural products. In turn those consumer preferences will increasingly drive our transition to a lower-emissions agriculture sector.
In an exploration of the potential for consumer behaviour to provide emissions reduction incentives to primary production sectors, this presentation will describe the application of a series of Discrete Choice Experiment surveys in New Zealand’s key export markets to identify consumer preferences over a variety of credence attributes. And will focus on the role of emission attributes in product choice, summarising consumer willingness-to-pay for reductions, and profiling consumer segments offering greatest potential
Using digital media and smart technology to increase value for New Zealand agrifood firms
No full textOver time there has been increasing use of digital media and smart technology by consumers and value chain operators for accessing information and purchasing goods. This signals an important new paradigm in consumer technology that could be used to support efforts to maximise value for New Zealand agrifood products. Examples of digital media and smart technology include e-commerce, social media, and smartphone interactive technology (e.g. QR codes, RFID/NFC). Such technologies can be used to verify product claims, disseminate product information, and allow for product purchasing, thereby shortening the distance between New Zealand firms and consumers in overseas markets. This session explores the media and technology that consumers in international markets for New Zealand's agrifood products are using, and how these can be leveraged by firms for improving market access, enhancing consumer perceptions, and ultimately increasing sales
Thermal adaptation of soil microbial growth traits in response to chronic warming
No full textAdaptation of soil microbes due to warming from climate change has been observed, but it remains unknown what microbial growth traits are adaptive to warming. We studied bacterial isolates from the Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research site, where field soils have been experimentally heated to 5°C above ambient temperature with unheated controls for 30 years. We hypothesized that Alphaproteobacteria from warmed plots have (i) less temperature-sensitive growth rates; (ii) higher optimum growth temperatures; and (iii) higher maximum growth temperatures compared to isolates from control plots. We made high-throughput measurements of bacterial growth in liquid cultures over time and across temperatures from 22°C to 37°C in 2–3°C increments. We estimated growth rates by fitting Gompertz models to the growth data. Temperature sensitivity of growth rate, optimum growth temperature, and maximum growth temperature were estimated by the Ratkowsky 1983 model and a modified Macromolecular Rate Theory (MMRT) model. To determine evidence of adaptation, we ran phylogenetic generalized least squares tests on isolates from warmed and control soils. Our results showed evidence of adaptation of higher optimum growth temperature of bacterial isolates from heated soils. However, we observed no evidence of adaptation of temperature sensitivity of growth and maximum growth temperature. Our project begins to capture the shape of the temperature response curves, but illustrates that the relationship between growth and temperature is complex and cannot be limited to a single point in the biokinetic range
Designing grazing systems that enhance the health of New Zealand high-country grasslands
No full textMore sustainable pastoral livestock production systems are required to face the challenge of reconciling agricultural production and environmental impact. Although the need for more holistic approaches, such as systems thinking and design theory, is acknowledged, systemic research applying those theories to create healthier systems remains underexplored. A multiple steps holistic approach involving modelling, geographic information systems, and decision-making analysis was used to design, assess, and contrast alternative scenarios that represent distinct grazing management to the current grazing management of a high-country station in New Zealand used as a case study to enhance grassland health. Three alternative scenarios were created, and five main parameters used to assess grassland health were obtained from the evaluation of the designed scenarios. From all the parameters, soil erosion control and increased production were ranked as the most and least important, respectively, to be considered in the design process. A multi-criteria evaluation defined that the best-compromise scenario to enhance grassland health is the scenario with lower soil erosion, as a result of applying adaptive and flexible management at the paddock level, the lower total emission of greenhouse gases (only sheep herd grazing), and greater profitability (due to production costs reduction, as cattle were removed from the station), compared to the ‘status quo’. Our design methodology produced a variety of alternatives that enhanced the health of grasslands in different parameters while still maintaining or increasing profitability. The use of multi-criteria evaluation facilitated the decision of the most contextualised and best-compromise scenario for New Zealand high country grasslands
Stacking nitrogen leaching mitigations in a Canterbury dairy system whilst minimising profitability losses
No full textThe aim of this project was to model combinations (“stacks”) of cost-effective nitrogen (N) leaching mitigations within a dairy system that could reduce N leaching by 40-60%, whilst minimising losses in profitability. A FARMAX and OverseerFM combination was used to model a baseline farm representing a typical Canterbury system, and seven sequentially “stacked” mitigated systems. The mitigations were combined and stacked in the following order based on mechanism(s) of action, practicality, and cost-effectiveness: 1) reduced synthetic N fertiliser input (from 190 to 100 kg N/ha/year); 2) including Italian ryegrass in the pasture sward; 3) including plantain in the pasture sward; 4) earlier calving and drying off (by 10 days); 5) wintering on pasture and baleage; 6) standing cows off-pasture; 7) using new-generation nitrification inhibitors. The most cost-effective stack combined mitigations 1 to 5. We estimated that N leaching was reduced by 57% relative to baseline, with an 8% reduction in operating profit. Greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 8%. The largest single reduction in N leaching was from stack #5, and it coincided with no/little change in milk production pasture eaten and had no capital cost. A careful selection of complementary mitigations could achieve significant reductions in N leaching without compromising greenhouse gas emissions and, to any great extent, profitability
Examining the role of personal innovativeness and trust in predicting generation Z’s online booking behaviour
No full textThis study responds to the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) critics regarding the model's missing self-regulatory and motivational variables. The research integrates personal innovativeness and perceived risk in the TAM model and explores the interrelationships among those constructs. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data for this study, and 293 consumers of the Indonesia Online Travel Agent (OTA) industry participated. The data were analysed using Partial Least Square, which employed the inner and outer model evaluations to analyse the data. The results demonstrated that Generation Z's attitude toward using the OTA application is positively affected by its perceived usefulness and ease of use. Moreover, three variables significantly affect Generation Z's behavioural intention to use e-commerce applications. Personal innovativeness significantly affects perceived transaction risks and attitudes toward using the OTA application. These results imply that in order to enhance customers’ willingness to keep using the application, the OTA practitioners should ensure that their customers experiencing the ease-of-use dan the usefulness of the application, so that the customers will have a greater willingness to use the same application in the future
The economic benefits of the New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre
No full textThe New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre (NZFSSRC or “the Centre”) is a national, virtual scientific network of New Zealand’s food safety researchers, hosted by Massey University and launched in 2016. The Centre synthesises input from industry, government, researchers and Māori to promote, coordinate and deliver food safety science and research for New Zealand. NZFSSRC is funded by government and industry. In 2022, the NZFSSRC commissioned the Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit (AERU) at Lincoln University to quantify the value of the Centre’s work and its impact more broadly in New Zealand. This study builds on a literature review of the benefits of food safety undertaken by Guenther et al. (2022) as part of this research. Research methods included interviews with participants from food industry and a desktop analysis. Three case studies for economic valuation of the Centre’s involvement were constructed. These case studies do not capture all of the benefits of the NZFSSRC, but they are representative examples that indicate its substantial impact
Innovation, wine tourism and sustainable winegrowing in cool climate regions
No full textThis study examines wineries’ perceptions towards innovation within the context of wine tourism and sustainable winegrowing practices in New Zealand. In order to investigate and contextualise the current situation in New Zealand, the National Wineries’ Survey was revisited and extended to provide a longitudinal time series of data from the New Zealand wine industry. This data was also used to provide a comparison of the New Zealand perceptions of innovation with that of the Australian cool climate regions of Tasmania and Western Australia.
The findings indicated that there were substantial concerns with the perceived value provided by wine tourism and sustainable winegrowing practices. The issue of mandatory versus voluntary membership of sustainable winegrowing programmes was shown to be a key reason why New Zealand winegrowers exhibited animosity towards the Sustainable Winegrowers New Zealand [SWNZ] scheme. This difference in attitudes between the two countries was further highlighted through the examination of the voluntary sustainable winegrowing programmes which currently exist within Australia. In particular, the study highlighted the potentially contested nature of sustainability initiatives throughout different levels of organisational governance. While sustainability initiatives may be promoted at one level, other levels may have substantial misgivings as to the appropriateness of such innovations
Working capital management practices of small and medium-sized businesses in New Zealand : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
No full textSmall and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) contribute significantly to a country’s economic growth. As the business environment changes constantly; SMEs need support and guidance on how to address working capital management (WCM) issues. Such knowledge will enable them to implement WCM effectively, increase their competitive advantage, and ensure their ultimate survival. Knowledge of WCM in SMEs, including a greater understanding of the WCM practices that SMEs actually employ and their motivations for, and barriers to, WCM, is needed to help SMEs adapt to ever-changing conditions.
WCM is central to a business’s profitability, growth, and survival. However, only some SMEs manage working capital (WC) well. Since the early 1980s, poor WCM has been identified as the primary cause of SMEs’ failure, with approximately half of all SMEs failing within the first five years. WCM involves the management of four key business components: cash, inventory, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. The goal of WCM is to achieve an optimal WC level, where the business’s current assets are sufficient to meet its obligations or current liabilities. While excessive WC incurs opportunity costs, insufficient WC increases the risk that a business cannot meet its short-term obligations. Despite its critical role in business success, scholarly literature has shown that, due to SMEs’ unique characteristics, many SMEs lack identifiable, systematic, and/or effective WCM procedures. WCM for SMEs is often overlooked in previous studies.
Given the importance of WCM, this research addresses omissions in the WCM literature by examining the WCM practices of New Zealand SMEs. More specifically, it identifies SMEs’ WCM practices, their motivators for, and barriers to, adopting (effective) WCM practices, and actions that SMEs could take to modify their WCM practices to address potential WCM issues. It contributes through the collection of qualitative data to provide deeper insights. The findings draw on questionnaire responses from 164 SMEs from 15 industries, and 11 interviews with SMEs, located in the Auckland and Canterbury regions.
The research found that many of the participating SMEs lacked an understanding of the importance of WCM and had limited knowledge of WCM practices or procedures that could be taken to manage WC more effectively. While some of the SMEs lacked any identifiable systematic processes, others adopted informal, ad-hoc WCM practices and/or only basic WCM techniques. The identified causes are related to barriers such as resource constraints, having a simple business model with low sales volumes, and a lack of knowledge and expertise in financial management. Consequently, rather than spending time to identify and develop systematic WCM practices, most of the SME management teams of this research focused on revenue-generating activities or activities perceived to generate a higher return. This may provide insight into other aspects of WCM outside the scope of this research, including why SMEs are less efficient in managing WC, and why they are more vulnerable to financial crises.
The research identifies WCM actions, from WCM planning to daily operations monitoring, that, when implemented will assist SMEs in addressing potential WCM issues and subsequently, improving the effectiveness of their WCM. Given their significant role in local economies, this research’s findings have implications that extend far beyond individual businesses