Recalling management changes in the New Zealand kiwifruit sector as response to external and internal drivers: preliminary analysis of ARGOS retrospective interviews

Abstract

This report presents a descriptive driver-and-response-based perspective at the family farm level. It focuses on the impacts of and the response to external and internal stress factors over the last 40 years, drawing on interviews with farming families participating in ARGOS. A historic narrative framework of a timeline (collaboratively designed by ARGOS researchers) was used to provide an overview of farmers’ response and the context in which this should be seen. The overall goal of this report was to explore potential key drivers of change in farm management among kiwifruit orchardists identified by their response to specified events (economic, climatic, etc.). This was done following the main objectives listed below: - To indentify key drivers of change mentioned by farmers over a time period between 1970 and 2010 - To identify farm management adjustments in response to identified key drivers over the same time period - To present an overview of drivers and response useful for further, more comprehensive analysis of the interviews.