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Land Land use
Diversification of land use
The last decade has seen the diversification of many land-use activities in New Zealand.
This diversification is particularly evident in the horticultural industry – changing land use to viticulture is just one example. In both 1997 and 2002, horticulture, including vineyards, orchards, and perennial crops, covered just under 1.6 per cent of our land. However, the area of vineyards grew by 28 per cent over the same period, illustrating the changing face of horticultural land.
Horticultural land use has also diversified in other ways. Over the past 20 years, in response to niche market demand, certification schemes have enabled increased development of organic production including land use, such as dairy, vegetable, and meat products.
This information has come from the latest national state of the environment report Environment New Zealand 2007.
Last updated: December 2007
