TFK: Are we losing the social licence to farm?

During most of the 20th century, farming was one of the most celebrated professions in New Zealand, and people saw farming as an exemplar of how New Zealand was a good country. Now, we are experiencing a rising tide of political controversy, activism, and loss of morale in farming sectors like dairying. This is very much in line with a wider phenomenon in the Western world called the ‘contested countryside’. New Zealand is unusual in world terms because the idea of a contested countryside arrived much later in comparison to similar countries elsewhere.

This month, Professor Hugh Campbell will be reviewing some of the key reasons why we’ve started to lose the social licence to farm and how this is shaping the future of farming in New Zealand.