Social Research Team

The Social Research Team comprises researchers from a range of academic and applied backgrounds, including psychology, human geography, education, policy analysis, horticulture, biology, economics, and agricultural extension and adoption. Using this unique combination of skills, we employ traditional and contemporary social research methods to deliver clear and insightful solutions.

As part of the Agricultural Systems Section of New Zealand's largest Crown Research Institute, the Social Research Team is uniquely positioned to access and integrate the specialist resources of AgResearch's broader biophysical and agricultural science capabilities to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of New Zealand's pastoral industries and rural communities.

Some of our current research programmes are in the following areas:

• Agricultural extension programmes [expand links]
  • More 'reach' through farm consultants
  • Increasing farmer understanding of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions
  • Feedsmart farmer attendance
  • eLearning
• Farmer decision making [expand links]
  • P21 measurement tools
• Coastal communities [expand links]
  • The role of communities in coastal hazard mitigation
  • Coastal adaptation to climate change
• Climate change [expand links]
  • Increasing farmer understanding of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions
  • SLMACC - Understanding responses to economic and environmental impacts of climate change, climate change policy and GHG mitigation technologies in catchments
  • Coastal adaptation to climate change
• Animal welfare
• Sustainability [expand links]
  • P21 measurement tools
• Dairying [expand links]
  • More 'reach' through farm consultants
  • P21 measurement tools
  • Effluent non-compliance

For more information please contact Neels Botha, phone: +64-7-838 5106