How the Consumers View is Changing

For generations, farming has been at the heart of New Zealand’s identity. Farmers have often been viewed as hardworking, practical people who help feed the nation and drive the economy. Rural communities built much of modern New Zealand, and agriculture remains one of the country’s largest export industries.

However, the relationship between the public and farming has changed significantly over the past two decades. Modern consumers are no longer focused only on food production and price. Increasingly, they are asking questions about environmental impact, water quality, animal welfare, greenhouse gas emissions and long-term sustainability.

At the same time, there is growing recognition that farmers are under pressure themselves; balancing production, environmental regulation, rising costs and changing public expectations.

A Shift in Consumer Thinking

Today’s consumers are far more connected to environmental and social issues than previous generations. Social media, documentaries, news coverage and climate discussions have changed how urban New Zealanders think about food production.

Many consumers now want:

• Environmentally responsible farming
• Lower emissions
• Cleaner rivers and groundwater
• Better animal welfare
• Reduced synthetic chemical use
• More transparency about food production
• Locally produced food
• Sustainable farming systems

Research in New Zealand shows that sustainability remains important to consumers even during difficult economic times. The 2025 Kantar Better Futures report found New Zealanders continue to expect businesses and industries to improve environmental and social responsibility despite cost-of-living pressures. This shift is influencing supermarkets, exporters, food companies and politicians. Increasingly, farming is judged not just on productivity, but on how it manages environmental outcomes.

The Public Still Values Farmers

Despite the criticism farming sometimes receives online or in the media, surveys show the public view of farming in New Zealand is improving in several areas. A nationwide survey reported by Farmers Weekly in 2025 found that public support for dairy, sheep and beef, horticulture and arable farming had all improved compared with previous years. Dairy farmers received favourable ratings from 63% of respondents, while sheep and beef farming rated even higher.

Research from FAR (Foundation for Arable Research) also showed many New Zealanders have become more positive about farming over the past three years rather than more negative. Consumers continue to recognise:

• Farming’s importance to the economy
• Food security
• Export earnings
• Rural communities

There remains strong respect for farmers as individuals, especially during times of drought, floods and natural disasters where farming communities are often seen as resilient and hardworking.

The Environmental Divide

Where tension exists is mainly around environmental impact.

Water quality has become one of the most emotional public issues connected to farming. Many New Zealanders associate intensive agriculture, particularly intensive dairying, with nitrate leaching, river pollution and declining freshwater quality. The Ministry for the Environment’s recent environmental reporting highlighted ongoing concerns around nitrate contamination and E. coli levels in waterways and groundwater linked partly to intensive land use.

Online discussions reflect this divide strongly. Some people believe farming is unfairly blamed for all environmental problems, while others believe agriculture has expanded beyond what the land and waterways can sustainably handle. This has created what some researchers describe as a “rural-urban perception gap.”