Sam Judd: Solutions to water pollution

A riparian site ready for volunteers to plant out at an event coordinated with the Landcare Trust. Photo / Priscilla Northe

Over and again we hear about the problems that we face with regards to water quality.

I will be the first to admit my own guilt in getting bogged down by all of the problems - economic, cultural, social and health-wise. It is hard not to when there are so many issues and scientists pulling their hair out at the fact that many of the pollutants won't even reach the riverbanks for years from now, meaning that it is going to get even worse.

It even struck a personal chord with me when I went surfing at the mouth of the Waikato River and could literally taste the scum. I haven't been there since.

But what can we do to curb the spread of the filth?

The only way to change this situation is to get up and do something about the problem.

Fonterra are stipulating that farmers must fence off waterways, data is being shared through the Lawa website and millions of trees have been planted by community groups, which is all helping to reduce impact on water quality.

Although these efforts make a big difference to the problem, the only way we can deliver widespread improvement to a watershed is to create solutions that are designed as a catchment approach.

This is why I like the tactics that are employed by the Landcare Trust, who actively work with farmers and community groups to address the different stresses faced by water across entire catchments.

First they develop and prove best practice solutions, then they spread the good word far and wide, as they are doing this weekend with their Communities for Clean Water campaign which will see a big climax of events in eight regions of the country.

I love to see this sharing of information and up-scaling of efforts to tackle the water quality challenge.

Also heartening is the fact that because Fonterra runs our dairy industry as a cooperative, there is no competition within the sector, meaning that when a solution for water pollution is developed that still delivers them a profit; they will actively share it across the shareholders. There are no trade secrets, so it benefits all the dairy farmers to help each other get better.

In Nicaragua, a farmer cooperative arrangement (widely hailed as a success by the United Nations Environment Program) actively shared knowledge across 817 communities about organic agricultural production, sequential agro-forestry, agricultural diversification and environmental health. One region that is part of this program has documented a 90% drop in chemical fertiliser use and simultaneous increases in crop yields. Put simply, this is less money spent on inputs, more money made from production and a dramatic reduction of pollution in the water.

Does anyone out there have New Zealand examples of farmers increasing revenue by reducing their inputs and improving their environmental footprint? If so, please email me through the link below or leave a comment.

Perhaps if we can bring these examples to the people, we will increase the value of our production, clean up the water and be able to surf and take fish from our wonderful river mouths without fear of getting sick.