The role of the New Zealand Grassland Association in communicating science to the grassland industry: History, lessons and directions

Abstract

This is the 80th edition of the NZGA annual publication and the 87th year since the Association was formed in 1931. Much has changed over that time, including some substantial changes to the way that science is funded and communicated to farmers and the wider industry. It is timely to reflect on the history and progress of the Association towards meeting its principal objective: “To foster progress in all matters relating to grassland”. Over the years, many NZGA Presidents have noted issues and challenges faced by the Association. Reading through these papers reminds us that many of the questions and challenges faced in the industry today and by the Association are not new. For example, Banfield (1976) noted the loss of land to forestry as a significant threat. This process has been reversed recently, and with forestry conversion to pasture being a major focus at the Wairakei conference in 2007. Recent Government decisions to plant more trees potentially returns us to that 1975 situation where the subsequent lack of employment associated with locking up land for forestry was noted.