Most farmers need financial returns to restore native forests

The Country14 Aug, 2026 06:00 PM4 mins to readHamish White (left) and Dean Palmer planting new seedlings at Hinetai Hops, Motueka. Photo / Hudson Dodd, TNCHamish White (left) and Dean Palmer planting new seedlings at Hinetai Hops, Motueka. Photo / Hudson Dodd, TNCMost farmers and other rural landowners in New Zealand need to see financial returns to enable native forest restoration on their land, according to recent research.

Commissioned by The Nature Conservancy Aotearoa New Zealand (TNC NZ) and carried out by the Bioeconomy Science Institute Maiangi Taiao, the research analysed landowner