Agents of change

The goal is to make the range of influence approaches and the agents facilitating the shift to holistic and sustainable land use more visible, understandable, relatable, and supportable for those on the land and organisations that work with those on the land.
Our research looks at both human and non-human change agents and focuses on innovative and non-conventional agents or influencers (rather than the more traditional agents of change like farm advisors, bankers, and peers) to identify a richer set of approaches to reach those on the land and to support change. These non-conventional agents of change include artists, schools and students, social movements, mechanisms that amplify the voice of nature and future generations, nature itself, and connection with land.

Research findings

Agents of change are diverse

Who do you think of when you think about influencing pro-environmental change on land?

but what about

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We have identified 63 different types of agents of change that seek to achieve pro-enviornmental change on land! This includes: human and non-human agents; agents that influence change in practices, rules, and perspectives; agents that are currently well researched, well understood and well supported; and agents that less well understood.

Perceived magnitude of change required

In a survey of agencies who traditionally support agents of change such as government, regional councils, and industry bodies a perceived ‘significant’ to ‘transformational’ change’ was needed for New Zealand’s land management to become environmentally sustainable.

Systems thinking and leverage points are useful for thinking about change

Systems thinking is a way of making sense of the complexity of the world by looking at the world in terms of ‘wholes’ and ‘relationships’, rather than by splitting it into its component parts. Boundaries are important in systems thinking. For farming, interventions off the land or beyond the farm boundary can affect the willingness and ability of farmers and growers to act. Our research looks at the environment/agriculture/social systems impacting on land in New Zealand, not just what happens within farm boundaries.

In systems thinking people often talk about different points of intervention in a system (also called leverage points). Intervening at some points, e.g. at the green box (a deeper leverage point), there is more potential to make bigger changes to the system than intervening elsewhere, e.g. at the red box (a shallower leverage point).

Our research finds agents of change intervene at different leverage points. However, agents are often unintentional about where in the system they are intervening and often think they are intervening at more powerful points than they are. Interventions at the different levels have the capacity to bring about different degrees and types of change. Therefore, it is important to for agents of change to match the needs, intentions and the interventions used.

Leverage points and our research in are described here and discussed in this webinar.

Graphic: Leverage points

Agents of change work differently on whenua Māori (Māori land)

The nature of the prevailing worldview makes a difference for the work of agents of change. We believe this flows from the inherent difference in the pathways and momentum toward sustainable holistic practices seen between different worldviews. For example, more holistic worldviews tend to have greater momentum towards using sustainable practices. In this context, agents are working more to remove barriers for people to reconnect with land. Where Euro-Western (dualist) worldviews exist the momentum towards using sustainable practices is weaker and agents are looking to increase momentum as well as remove any barriers to using sustainable practices.

Agents of change advisory groups

The Kahui Māori Advisory Group and Supporting Agencies Advisory Group provide guidance, feedback and advice on the direction and case study design and findings of the agents of change research.

Research in action

Exploring where and how agents of change are intervening in the systems surrounding those on the land

Our research focuses on agents attempting to operate at moderate or deeper leverage points. Those agents typically working on shallower interventions such as advisors are well researched with much existing knowledge about their approaches and effectiveness.

Through case studies we are identifying what agents are doing and ultimately what is happening on the land, and thus the effectiveness of agents.

Our case studies

• Mobilising communities
  The focus is agents who seek to mobilise communities for positive environmental change. We are examining the effectiveness of agents who work directly to influence farmers, agents who advocate for new food and fibre policies, and agents who are embedded within urban food production.
• Schools and youth
  The focus is schools and their students as agents of positive environmental change. We are examining the role of schools in how students consider and take environmental action and how the schools and young people can ultimately influence positive environmental change on land. Three schools from the North and South Islands are participating.
• Amplifying voices of nature and future generations
  The focus is how the voice of nature and future generations can have a more prominent role in environmental decision-making. We propose that the amplification of these voices in current decision making – through legal, policy, and business mechanisms – can support the shift towards more positive environmental land use practices. We are examining legal personhood, the constitutional rights of nature, intergenerational planning, and legal representation for future generations.
• Relationship between humans and the environment
  The focus is human and non-human agents that are trying to change the relationship between people and the environment towards one of reciprocity or mutual benefit. We are looking at artists and nature as agents. A highlight of this case study is an art in the environment event which profiles the work of artists as change agents and also give us the opportunity to collect some information about the impact of these art exhibitions on the relationship between humans and the environment. (see Influencing change through art section below)
• Spiritual and physical reconnection with land
  The focus is spiritual and physical reconnection with the land as an agent of change. Māori-centred examples from across all case studies will be explored, including a replanting project, a kura (Māori school), intergenerational farm planning, and a native plant nursery. We are testing our proposition that human and non-human agents can help Māori reconnect with land (whenua), and that this reconnection supports a shift towards more holistic and sustainable land practices.

Influencing change through art

An Art in the Environment exhibition (knowyourplace.nz) was hosted around the Lyttelton Harbour/ Whakaraupō Basin and Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū or Banks Peninsula between the 20 November and 1 December 2024. Throughout the exhibition we gathered data and evidence of art and artists as ‘agents of change’ by connecting artists to local and current pro-environmental projects and research, allowing them to connect to a wide audience and express their environmental concerns and desire for change.

The exhibition features:

• Upokohue: a Subaquatic Symphony for Whakaraupō – Experience life beneath the surface of Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour, a place that is surprisingly full of sound. The soundscape reveals the sounds of the natural marine ecosystem, as well as human-made noise played through underwater speakers in Norman Kirk Pool in Lyttelton. Location: Norman Kirk Pool.
• Whakaraupō Fauna – In this art science collaboration highlighting some of our smaller and oft-overlooked marine fauna, Joyce, and Lily hoped to open the community’s eyes to the many creatures that call Whakaraupō home. Location: The Woolstore, Te Ana Marina.
• Penguin Peninsula – Over 100 individually designed ceramic kororā (white-flippered penguins) take centre stage at locations around Naval Point to spark conversations about the ecosystems and habitats necessary for a thriving Kororā population. Location: Naval Point.
• Art on a Plate – Kaimona and foraged greens take centre stage on the menu in a tasty conversation about the connection between ourselves and our food and the health of our harbour. This takes place among sculptures decorated with materials washed up on local beaches. Location: SUPER restaurant
• Teoteo Exhibition – Teoteo celebrates and calls attention to the small things in our local environment, which are influenced, threatened and can be preserved through human behaviour. Location: Stoddart Cottage Gallery
• Know your place group exhibition / Te Whare o Rei – The opening night event at Rei gallery. Rei is a gallery owned and operated by the local Māori mana whenua, Kāti WhekiIn this exhibition the artists have created work that responds to local research and their observations of the environment. These works speak to the change and/or connection to the local whenua the artists hope to inspire in their audience. Location: Rei Gallery.

Team members

• Melissa Robson-Williams, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
• Manaia Cunningham, Cunningham Consultants
• Nick Kirk, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
• Justin Connolly, Deliberate
• Bruce Small, Independent
• Sam MacLachlan, Environment Southland
• Nikki Harcourt, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
• Flo van Noppen, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
• Angela McFetridge, Lincoln University
• Holly Cunningham, Cunningham Consultants
  
• Alexandra Welch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
  
• Suzanne Vallance, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research