Sustainable citizenship as a key to sustainability: Establishing a common ground on technology use in New Zealand's dairy sector

Abstract

Sustainability is a key issue in New Zealand’s dairy industry. Arguments are often made from either a purely economic or environmental perspective. The debate is dominated by polarised viewpoints characterised by hasty rejection or assertive support of production-focused biotechnological approaches. On the one hand is the biotechnology industry and on the other environmentalists and an anxious public. In the context of this divisive discussion, progress towards sustainable development is hard to achieve. By using the concept of sustainable citizenship as a theoretical framework, it is possible to incorporate economic, environmental, political and social approaches to sustainability. This thesis employs sustainable citizenship in order to find a common ground amongst the various points of view within the dairy sector. Shared values around farming methods and biotechnology are used to find a way to facilitate sustainable development in the industry, combining current interests of various stakeholders with the long-term interest of future generations.