A political ecology of New Zealand dairying as foodgetting
Dairying is responsible for almost a quarter of national greenhouse gas emissions, but industry actors often interpret sustainability narrowly in terms of on-farm actions like fencing off water courses to reduce aquatic pollution. This seminar seeks to contribute to the discussion over what ‘sustainable’ agriculture means in the context of globalization by unpacking Aotearoa/New Zealand foodgetting over the longue durée. It will demonstrate how contemporary efforts by New Zealanders to reconcile dairying and climate change can be (and increasingly are being) informed by lessons from the past about how human inhabitants and users of these distinct environments, both Māori and pākehā, developed governance mechanisms to manage foodgetting collectively.
