New Zealand Farmers’ Trust in Climate Change Expertise and Policy: A Case Study

Abstract

Responding to recent discord between Aotearoa New Zealand's agricultural sector and the government over environmental policies, this paper examines farmers’ trust in climate change science and policy and how scientific knowledge is communicated and received. Focusing on a farming community in Canterbury's high country, we conducted 10 semi‐structured interviews with farmers across seven farms between July and October 2022. Among the participants, one accepted human‐induced climate change, six were sceptical of humans’ role and three believed the climate was experiencing normal fluctuations. Through reflexive thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews, we identified four key themes: (1) mistrust in climate science and scientists, (2) mistrust in government, (3) mistrust of the mainstream media and (4) a sense of responsibility and care for their farms. Overall, the findings suggested farmers regret their loss of historical influence over government policy and felt marginalised, devalued and unheard. This research highlights the relationship between trust in science and trust in authority, underscoring the need for tailored science communication around climate change and trusted liaisons between the farming sector and government.