One of New Zealand's leading agricultural universities, Massey, is adopting a new big picture view and is moving to specialise in food systems rather than just agriculture.
Massey University vice-chancellor Steve Maharey told a farming conference in Palmerston North the university was going to focus on food and the food chain - not just agriculture.
Mr Maharey said if the Government's economic targets were to be met then the country needed to be a whole lot smarter about capturing the value of the food it produces.
"If we were to say the prosperity we are after is that $60 billion target and we were going to add value, you start talking about the farm that production, on-farm activity, (is) extremely important," he said.
"But you walk your way through things like traceability, like sustainability issues, like waste issues, like processing issues, like retailing issues, packing, distribution and so on - all of these are opportunities for us to start talking about the food product and how all these aspects can begin to add another slice to what we might get from it."
