Future Farmers

We are a united community championing a profitable and healthy food and fibre sector.

Our partners

The Big Ball

A Charity Event that raised $4500 for Rural Support Trust.

An event is to catalyse unity and connection between youth, whilst raising awareness for rural mental health. 

Recognising our sector is stronger together, this event is a joint effort between Future Farmers NZ and Rural Support Trust in collaboration with Future Foresters, Young Fish, The Food and Fibre Youth Network, and the Tasman and Pendarves Young Farmers groups.

Suicide in rural New Zealand is higher than any other demographic, having a lasting ripple effect throughout a community - especially with our young people, who are often the largest statistic. Meeting and connecting to others can be challenging for rural professionals, foresters, fishers, and farmers , which is why events like this are fundamental.

Featuring special guests Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford and Hon. Mark Patterson, plus a live band, this event is not one to be missed!

We'll see you on the dance floor.

A big thank you to our sponsors Halter, Farmers Weekly, ANZCO and Sanford.

Who We Are

Future Farmers New Zealand is a collection of young kiwis passionate about ahuwhenua and the principles of kaitiakitanga. We are farmers, students, and urbanites, all passionate about the opportunities for the planet and the people that come from New Zealand’s food and fibre.

Our aim is to discuss and inform beliefs, principles, and policies to shape the future of New Zealand food and fibre based on our continuously evolving Manifesto.

Impartiality Statement

Future Farmers pride ourselves on creating a safe space for discussion, being strongly non partisan and impartial. Therefore it is important we are upfront about our potential biases; while we do have members who vote for a variety of political parties, not all may be represented (‘minority’ parties in particular).

That said, we would love to have members of the food and fibre community from any political position come join us. Being a group with more of an advocacy focus, we have attracted a membership that is weighted more towards those who are involved in science, industry and policy. We have some day-to-day farmers in the group but this currently isn’t as high as we would like so we are actively working to grow our membership base of on the ground farmers alongside our other members. We believe our diversity and critical thinking puts us in a strong position to advocate on behalf of young people for change in the sector and are committed to utmost transparency about our own decision making process and any potential biases.

We would love to welcome anyone involved in the sector, farmers and all individuals alike who are keen to work toward a united, healthy, and prosperous future.

Help a Future-Farmer today

Support our mission by contributing a donation.

We are currently funded with grant money from Agmardt, and are an Incorporated Society registered New Zealand Charity: CC61097

Future Farmers | E Tipu Boma 2023 | Finn Ross.jpg
Future Farmers | E Tipu Boma 2023 | Aimee Blake.jpg

Manifesto Executive
Summary

New Zealand has a proud agricultural heritage, with farming providing a significant boost to national fiscal capital. The food and fibre sector employs tens of thousands of people and is vital for supporting small communities. However, this has come at a significant cost. Currently farming is a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, decreased water quality, and loss of biodiversity. These issues feed into social tensions in the form of a ‘rural-urban divide’ and negatively impact the mental health of those in the sector. We have learnt valuable lessons from generations of brave kiwi farmers, but now is the time for real change in the New Zealand food and fibre landscape.

We must inspire a new narrative where farmers are not just business owners, but custodians of our whenua. Climate change presents an opportunity to reassess our relationship with nature and redesign our food system, with farmers leading the charge. New Zealand is home to brilliant farmers, scientists, and innovators, and already possesses a green reputation on the global stage built on the high-quality products we produce. Using the blueprint for stewardship and regeneration provided by mātauranga, New Zealand can lead the way to a new era of food and fibre; while feeding, clothing, and healing the world in partnership with tangata whenua.

This manifesto identifies seven key themes, which outline key recommendations for a more sustainable food and fibre sector.

How Our Manifesto Works

We have subdivided our manifesto to encompass 7 key themes that we believe are essential to creating a healthy future for New Zealand farming.

For each section, we describe the vision we have for the future, what future outcomes could look like, and how we can get there. Each section is concluded with some key recommendations.

You may notice that our key themes for the future of farming do not include the usual physical components such as climate, biodiversity, water, soil and human health. This is because  we see the degradation of these core components of nature to be inherently multi-disciplinary issues. As a result, they are woven across each of the 7 themes. The regeneration of these elements is non-exclusive as they are innate to a healthy agri-food system, and therefore it makes sense to treat them as such when envisioning the future. 

Disclaimer - This is a living document and will be constantly updated, subject to consultation and the evolution of ideas. 

Manifesto Key Themes

Our Theory of Change

Future Farmers NZ Theory of Change

The Great Agri Debate

An event in September 2023 that featured Primary Industries spokespeople from 6 of the major political parties, aiming to provide a neutral platform for all of the spokespeople to present their view for agriculture going forward.

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We must inspire a narrative where farmers are not just business owners but custodians of our ecosystems.

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FFNZ in the Media…