From pastoral to industrial agriculture: global food chains and the drivers of climate change

Mankind has long reshaped nature to favour crops and livestock. Starting in the mid-twentieth century, the introduction of mechanisation and chemical fertilisers led to the rapid industrialisation of the agricultural sector, the creation of large-scale monocultures, and intensive animal farming and grazing, which together delivered enormous productivity improvements. However, large-scale land clearances lessened the carbon capture, increasing vulnerabilities to erosion and flooding and degrading water systems. In 2022, the food chain was the largest contributor after industry to greenhouse emissions. Food’s role in national identity and culture, food security, and issues including genetic modification, ultra-processed foods, globalisation, and employment had become highly politicised. Seed, fertiliser, and grain markets and retailers, all of whom drove activities in the food chain, had become increasingly concentrated oligopolies, capable of influencing agricultural practices and climate policies. This chapter provides a historical overview of the development of the agro-business sector, highlighting how entrepreneurs, policymakers, and business leaders in New Zealand attempted to “green” the food chain in the 1980s and 1990s, and also the obstacles they encountered.