Scientists have been accused of mounting a sustained attack on regenerative agriculture and splitting the science community. Not all, but some.
The words are disappointing and misleading.
What some agricultural scientists have done is continue to ask questions of regenerative proponents. The ongoing questioning is because no answers have appeared – the proponents want money to do the research to answer the questions.
The point that agricultural scientists have been making is that a lot of the ‘needed’ research has been done and results are available.
Some has been funded recently by various combinations of Ministry of Primary Industries (the farmer-science funding now termed Sustainable Food and Fibre Fund), Ministry for Business and Employment and levy bodies and has not shown positive results.
Related on the SLP
New Zealand’s agricultural scientists are almost at one of being proud of what has been achieved here with farmers, rural professionals and scientists working together on goals for sustainability.
These include productivity gains, reducing risks to production, maintaining and improving the environment, being economically viable and socially acceptable.
Regenerative proponents tend to be influenced by overseas researchers, have an organic background, and are not agricultural scientists who have spent their working lives learning about effects and consequences within the New Zealand context.
