Agents of Change Wananga
Whāngārā Farms was grateful to be part of the recent Agents of Change wānanga, represented by our Business Manager, Ray Leach. The hui brought together a range of perspectives from across Aotearoa, with a shared focus on understanding how change happens within complex land and food systems, and how different approaches can be strengthened over time.
The purpose of the wānanga was both to build connections across a network of practitioners and to sense-check emerging research findings. For us, it was a valuable opportunity to step back from day-to-day operations and engage with how our work is being analyzed by expert observers through a systems lens, and to get alongside others working in similar spaces.
The final research report on Whangara Farms found:
From the perspective of research on intergenerational planning as an agent of change, a significant strength of the Whāngārā Farms 100-year planning process was its ability to provide a bridge between polarised perspectives. This was achieved through four key mechanisms: a clear commitment to move away from ‘short termism’; being inclusive; using organisational metrics that supported long-term thinking; developing different ways to encourage long-term thinking.
This promising intergenerational approach has the potential to deliver benefits both in the quality of short- and long-term decision making and as a means to navigate between problematic polarised narratives in the agri-environmental discourse in New Zealand.
A key part of the discussion was the role of non-traditional “agents of change” - those working in ways that don’t always fit within conventional extension or advisory models, but are still contributing to shifts in thinking and practice. The research highlighted that achieving meaningful change in land systems will likely require approaches that operate at deeper levels - including how organisations define success, make decisions, and understand their relationship with the environment.
Within that context, our 100-year plan, He Rau Ake Ake, was discussed as one example of intergenerational planning. The research noted that this type of approach can help shift focus from short-term outputs to longer-term outcomes, particularly when it brings environmental, cultural, social, and economic considerations into the same frame.
What was useful for us was not so much the positioning of the work, but the clarity the research provided around how change is occurring. In particular, it highlighted the importance of information flows - what knowledge is included in decision-making, whose perspectives are considered, and over what timeframes; participation and process - how different voices are brought into planning and governance spaces; and clarity of purpose - how organisational goals are articulated and understood over the long term.
The research also reinforced that change tends to be most effective when these elements are aligned and working together, rather than as isolated actions.
At the same time, the wānanga created space to reflect on where there is still work to do. Some of the considerations raised - both for Whāngārā and more broadly - included the need to continue making underlying assumptions and worldviews more explicit, to strengthen alignment between long-term goals and day-to-day systems, and to explore how networks and relationships beyond the farm can support ongoing change.
These are not new challenges, but the framing was helpful. It provided a way to think more deliberately about where effort is being placed, and where there may be opportunities to strengthen or connect existing work.
More broadly, the research highlighted that the level of change required across Aotearoa’s land systems is significant, and that no single approach will achieve this on its own. Instead, it points to the importance of multiple efforts, working at different levels, contributing to a wider shift over time.
For Whāngārā Farms, the value of the wānanga was in being part of that wider conversation - sharing our experience, hearing from others, and contributing to a collective understanding of what supports meaningful, long-term change.
As the research is refined and the work continues, we appreciate the opportunity to stay connected to this network and to keep learning alongside others working across the system.
“Being part of the wānanga was a good opportunity to step back and look at our work alongside others across the system. The research also highlighted where we can continue to strengthen our approach as we move further into implementation.”
- Ray Leach, Business Manager, Whāngārā Farms
Whāngārā Farms acknowledges the research group who held space for these important conversations and the knowledge inside the room.
