Future Agri-Food Systems, Aotearoa New Zealand: Understanding Diverse Values, Narratives and Relationships with ‘Place’

Responding to the growing calls for research that engages with the complexity of agri-food system transformation, this paper focuses on the future of agri-food systems in Aotearoa New Zealand and the role of key stakeholders’ in shaping that future. Drawing on a progressive sense of place within alternative food networks, where place is both experienced and constructed, this research explores the diverse ways that the values and narratives of industrial farmers, small-scale agricultural producers and local and regional council members are assembled in promoting and resisting particular agri-food futures. A more-than-human ethic of care is used to analyze and conceptualize the interwoven socio-ecological relationships that shape the outcomes of the coming together of these diverse perspectives. Findings suggest that there is a disconnect between individual values and the values of the agri-food system, which feeds into the current disconnect between the individual’s values and their actions. Furthermore, data collected shows that there are constraints around how people think about the future of agri-food systems and that place-based or localized approaches may provide opportunities for individual values to be enacted, while fostering a deeper understanding of our interconnected existence.