TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE: LAND USER ADAPTATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY IN THE LAKE TAUPO CATCHMENT

HEIN ROTH, MARGARET BROWN & NEELS BOTHA

Paper presented at the 2010 NZPsS Annual Conference

OVERVIEW• Introduction

• Research aim

• Model applied

• Methodology

• Results

• Discussion (incorporating key learnings)2

INTRODUCTION• ‘’As man thinks in his heart, so is he”

• Adresses the heart, the mind, and the behaviour

• Environmental sustainability involves the totality of the human being

• Minimum research on the social impacts of policy

• Focused on pastoral farming in Lake Taupo catchment

• Long-term strategy to restore quality to 2001 levels by 2080

• Impact in costs in excess of $160M3

RESEARCH AIM

• To investigate farmers’ adaptation over time to environmental policy changes in terms of their emotional and perceptual responses and their on-farm practice changes (behaviour)

• To understand people’s emotional adaptation to threat and how to best support them

• Research started in 2005 and was completed 2009

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KÜBLER-ROSS MODEL OF GRIEFPositive

Negative

Stage 1 2 3 4 5 6

State Status quo Disruption Exploration Rebuilding

Reaction Shock & Denial

Fear & Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance Commitment

Imp

act

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METHODOLOGY

• Semi-structured interviews (2005 & 2009)

• 19 Participants (6 Farm Managers; 13 sole-owners) • Audio-taped, transcribed, check for accuracy, data analysed & compared, reported

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RESULTS: UNDERSTANDING OF RULES

2005 2009

• Unfamiliar with detail • Familiar with rules & purpose• Questioned research findings • Unchanged• Unfair targeting of farmers • Unchanged• Residential developments • Unchanged• EW: (1) Financial impact • RC: (1) Unchanged

(2) National averages

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RESULTS: PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPACT

2005 2009• Limited development potential • Unchanged• Personal impact unknown • Sole-owners (84.6%)

• No impact on Managers (66.7%)

• Community impact unknown • Sole-owners community split• Regional impact unknown • Lake Taupo Protection Trust

Social, infrastructural & employment impacts• Tourism (Western Bays)

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RESULTS: ON-FARM PRACTICES

2005 2009• Fear of further change• Main responses: Wait and see Production

• Wait and see: NDA benchmark Software issues• Lack of incentives• Manager motivation (83.3%) Sole-owner motivation (31.8%)• Current economic climate: “Hope for the best”

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RESULTS: ON-FARM PRACTICES (MANAGERS)2005 2009

• Destocking• Wintering off• Land retiring• Effluent disposal• Other plantings (blue berries)• Considered: - Detention dams - Trialling Eco-N - Downsizing herds - Replace heavy cattle

• Continued (83.3%)• Changing to deer• Better grass species

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RESULTS: ON-FARM PRACTICES (SOLE-OWNERS)

2005 2009• No change (61.5%) • No change (84.6%)

• Changes by the 38.5%:

- High sugar grasses - Decrease N fertilisers - Trialled Eco-N fertilisers

• Changes by 15.4%:

- Trialling Eco-N fertilisers - Sold breeding cows - Introduced lighter stock

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PROGRESSIVE ADAPTATION (2005-2009)

Positive

Negative

Stage 1 2 3 4 5 6

State Status quo Disruption Exploration Rebuilding

Reaction Shock & Denial

Fear & Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance Commitment

Imp

act

2005 Farm Managers 2005 Sole-owners

2009 Farm Managers 2009 Sole-owners

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KEY LEARNINGS

• Emotional adaptation is occurring; differences exist between landholding types in terms of emotional valence and tempo of adaptation

• Perceptual adaptation has not occurred with most participants

• Behavioural adaptation (on-farm practice change) is occurring, with differences between landholding types in terms of adaptation tempo.

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WHAT CAN BE DONE?• Fear alone has limited impact to encourage and sustain change

• Sustained behaviour change involves the totality of the human being.

• Policy makers need to be prepared for the backlash and consider and employ ways of helping people to cope.

• Requires a collaborative approach involving policy makers, rural and health professionals, researchers, agricultural extension staff, and farmers themselves.

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