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27 October 2026 Climate Varied Futures: Adaptation Strategies for NZ Farms

Description & Topics

SeriesInnovation SeriesEvent

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Climate Varied Futures: Adaptation Strategies for NZ Primary Sector

This year’s Innovation Series explores how innovation and sustainability are shaping the future of farming.

For our next event, we focus on one of the most pressing challenges facing the primary sector today: climate adaptation.

This year’s Innovation Series explores how innovation and sustainability are shaping the future of farming. For our next event, we focus on one of the most pressing challenges facing the primary sector today: climate adaptation.

Challenging weather conditions and extreme events are part of farming and growing in Aotearoa New Zealand. Yet climate change will make these events more frequent and intense, and make growing conditions more difficult into the future. While some farmers and growers across the primary sector are experimenting with different ways to adapt to climate variability and anticipated future changes in climate, the complexity and uncertainty present challenges for the wider sector.

Join us to hear about the adaptation strategies that are effective now —from pasture and crop options better suited to changing conditions, to innovations in water management and whole-farm system redesign – and to explore wider sectoral perspectives on future action. They’ll share research, modelling, and on-farm examples that highlight practical pathways for building resilience in the face of climate uncertainty.

This special Innovation Series event will bring together experts from across research, industry, and farming and horticulture communities to spark an informed and future-focused discussion on how New Zealand farmers and growers can thrive in a changing climate.

Tuesday 20 October
9.00am - 3.00pm
S1, Stewart Building, Lincoln University

Programme

9.00am: Welcome

9.15am: Session 1: Understanding the Challenge
Climate risk, variability and what it means for New Zealand’s primary sector
This opening session will set the scene for climate adaptation across Aotearoa New Zealand’s primary industries, exploring how changing climate conditions and extreme weather events are affecting farming and growing systems, and what research, modelling and industry experience tell us about the challenges ahead.

9.15am: Speaker 1: Anita Wreford, Lincoln University
Climate change, variability and future conditions for primary production
A research-led overview of changing climate conditions, emerging risks and what research tells us about the conditions New Zealand farmers and growers may need to prepare for.

9.35am — Speaker 2: Lucie Douma, FMG
Managing climate risk and building resilience
A perspective on how climate-related risks are affecting primary producers and the role of the insurance sector in supporting adaptation.

9.55am — Speaker 3: TBC
Researching pathways for climate adaptation
TBC

10.15am — Panel discussion & Q&A

10.35am: Morning break

10.50am: Session 2 — Adaptation in Practice
What are farmers and growers doing differently?
This session will explore practical examples of adaptation across farming and horticulture, bringing together producers from different primary industries to share how they are responding to climate variability, changing growing conditions and preparing for future change.10.45am Keynote Speaker 1

10.50am — Speaker 1: Richard Tosswill, Sheep and Beef Farmer
Adapting on farm: responding to a changing climate

11.05am — Speaker 2: TBC, Dairy Farmer
Adapting dairy production for the future

11.20am — Speaker 3: TBC, BayGold Kiwifruit
Building resilience in horticulture

11.35am — Speaker 4: TBC, Greystone Wines
Adapting to a changing growing environment

11.50am — Panel discussion & Q&A

12.10pm: Lunch

12.55pm: Session 3 — Preparing for the Future
From individual adaptation to sector-wide resilience
The final session will broaden the conversation beyond individual farms and businesses to consider what is needed to support adaptation across the primary sector. Speakers will explore the role of industry, finance, policy, research and collaboration in enabling producers to respond to an uncertain future.

12.55pm — Speaker 1: Aslan Wright-Stow, Open Country Dairy
Building resilience across the primary sector
An industry perspective on the opportunities and challenges of climate adaptation

1.15pm — Speaker 2: TBC
Financing adaptation and managing future risk

1.35pm — Speaker 3: TBC
Enabling adaptation across the primary sector

1.55pm — Panel discussion & Q&A

2.15pm: Closing summary

2.30pm: Event finishes

About the Speakers

Prof. Anita Wreford

Lincoln University

I am an applied economist specialising in adaptation to climate change. I am based in the Faculty of Environment, Society and Design at Lincoln University, where I am currently the Associate Dean of Research. I have 25 years of research experience, across many areas of climate change adaptation, including economic evaluations of impacts and adaptation (focusing particularly on applying robust methods to deal with climate uncertainty); identifying and evaluating the effectiveness of adaptation options across sectors; risk assessment; community resilience to extreme weather events; and adaptation decision-making among various stakeholders. I led the Deep South National Science Challenge’s programme on Impacts and Implications from 2019 to 2024. I am a lead author on three Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports: A Special Report on Climate Change and Land (2019), the Australasia chapter of the Sixth Assessment Report (2021) and currently on the Agriculture, Food, Fibre, Forestry and Fisheries chapter of the forthcoming Seventh Assessment Report. I am actively involved in several research projects and supervise PhD students.

Lucie Douma

FMG

Lucie Douma currently serves as the Head of Client Strategy and Advice Services at FMG (Farmers Mutual Group) since July 2023. Prior to this role, Lucie held multiple positions at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) from October 2018 to July 2023, including Manager of Covid Recovery and Supply Chain, Principal Adviser for Investment Programmes, and Senior Policy Analyst. Lucie's career also includes experience as a Policy Analyst at the Ministry for the Environment from November 2016 to August 2018, and as a Senior Advisor in Climate Change and Sustainability at KPMG New Zealand from February 2012 to September 2015. Lucie's early career includes service as an Ordinary Seaman in the Royal New Zealand Navy from May 2009 to March 2012 while completing university studies. Lucie holds a Master of Science in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford and two degrees from the University of Otago: a Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons1) in Design For Technology and a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing Management.

Richard and Becks Tosswill

Richard and Becks Tosswill's farming operation is described by the Greater Wellington Ballance Farm Environment Awards judges as an "innovative and forward-thinking farm driven by a passion for change through social responsibility and commitment to further the future of New Zealand farming". The Tosswills, who have won the region's supreme award, have been farming Te Awaawa, a 646ha sheep and beef hill country property near Masterton for the past 10 years. The couple farm 3000 texel-cross ewes with 1000 replacement ewe lambs. They have reviewed their sheep policies and added a trading component in the past few years to provide flexibility in their summer dry environment. They run 100 angus breeding cows and 20 to 25 replacements are mated and calved as two year olds.

Aslan Wright-Stow

Open Country Dairy

Focused on delivering sustainability that works for farmers, customers, and the environment. At Open Country, I lead our sustainable milk initiatives – partnering with global customers to support the purchase of sustainably produced milk and ensure assurance systems are robust and fit-for-purpose. I work with farmers to help them understand their on-farm sustainability options, access market recognition (including premiums), and make changes that are good for both the environment and farm performance. I lead our science programme to build New Zealand’s sustainability knowledge base and give farmers the confidence to act, backed by evidence and data insights. Across our work, we focus on turning information into action – helping farmers implement practical, achievable improvements across all areas of sustainability, from emissions and biodiversity to water quality and soil health.
I also work with Government and sector partners to help shape sensible, pragmatic rules that drive meaningful environmental progress. At the heart of it all is a belief in win-win outcomes – where reducing environmental footprint goes hand-in-hand with improving productivity, profitability, and market opportunity.