Agriculture Research Group on Sustainability Extensions: ARGOS 2.1 & 2.2
Principal investigator: Professor Hugh Campbell
Staff involved: Dr. Chris Rosin, Professor Henrik Moller
Brief abstract
The ARGOS Project is a long-term study of social, economic, and environmental changes on farms that are (or aren't!) attempting to undertake more sustainable styles of production.
The extension consolidates but also extends the original project. It has four main objectives:
- Analysis of shocks and farmer responses: Our use of social-ecological resilience thinking underpins an investigation of what farmers see as the main shocks threatening their economic, social, and environmental wellbeing; their capacity to withstand the shocks; and key adaptations that might help avoid or at least reduce impacts
- Analysis of complementary pathways to sustainability: This continues aspects of the foundation ARGOS questions but digs deeper into the establishment, adaptation, and effects of market assurance schemes to deliver market access and premium prices
- Comparative international impact analysis: Our ongoing monitoring of sustainability indicators will be compared directly with overseas frameworks, and research links will be built with collaborators from the European Union
- Increased adoption of ARGOS outputs: Our ARGOS1 results will be incorporated into revised market assurance schemes
The project also secures co-funding from Zespri, Canterbury Meat Packers Ltd., Waitrose, Merino Inc., Meat & Wool New Zealand, Sustainable farming Fund (MAF), Ngai Tahu, Certified Organic Kiwifruit Growers Assoc., and Fonterra.
Further information
Funder: The AgriBusiness Group (Funded through the Ministry of Science & Innovation)
Total contract value: $827,310
Term: October 2009-September 2011