Our second class, by Prof. Tom Brooking, was about the Politics of Sustainability in New Zealand Agriculture. Professor Brooking discussed the cultural anthropology of New Zealand as well as the many ecological challenges the country faced. He also emphasized current issues New Zealanders are facing. One such issue relates to the trade-offs between the quality of land/water sustainability and profit margins. Many farmers are faced with a choice of expanding production but compromising the quality of their product. As a result, some farmers have chosen to stay local and rely on local clientele to retain the integrity of their products. Another current issue is the rise of international investors investing in New Zealand and driving up the prices of local real estate. However, these investments are largely speculative and do not lead to sustainable and productive usage of land resources. He also emphasized the importance of traditional family farms and the necessity of supporting them for both economic and cultural reasons. Many New Zealand citizens have adapted to difficult economic circumstances by looking into multiple ways of utilizing their assets, for example, wives of farmers generate extra income by taking in tourists, growing flowers, or designing clothing. An emerging issue that has had a major impact on New Zealand agriculture was the introduction of synthetics as a substitute for wool. Since synthetics are so cheap, the New Zealand wool industry has been greatly, and negatively, affected by this.
-Clarissa A.
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