From the sandpit to the paddock: growing our future farmers

Abstract

Today's Farmer is a professional businessperson operating in a culture of complexity. The business focus requires many skills in the endeavour of converting energy into food. The challenges of managing production costs, developing the business, weather and bio-security risk, fluctuating commodity and financial markets, and environmental management are many. In a world increasingly concerned with food security, New Zealand is well placed to build upon the current base of agricultural knowledge that is renowned for growing sustainable, high quality, safe food that is free of subsidies. Industries must find ways to bring through a new generation of agribusiness leaders who will be our future farmers. These people will be the change agents driving science and technological innovations that will create economic prosperity for our nation into the future.