What can we learn from small-scale farm forest owners about maintaining a social licence?

Authors: Andrea Grant, Grace Villamor, Julian Bateson, Peter Clinton
Publication: New Zealand Journal of Forestry, Volume N.Z.J.For. 2025, Issue N.Z.J.For. 70(2) 2025, pp Pages 35-40, Aug 2025
Publisher: New Zealand Institute of Forestry

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Abstract: Small-scale farm forestry (SSFF) owners have played a foundational role in the development of New Zealand forestry and continue to contribute to its structure and innovation (Figure 1). While not always seen as the face of forestry, SSFF has persisted through boom-and-bust cycles of log prices, and has also contributed to the environmental and social sustainability of rural areas. There have been different viewpoints and rationales for forest policy regarding SSFF development, but very little in tangible national direction since 1983. Some examples of pragmatic policy ideas include flexibility in support for farm forestry businesses, enabling diversification of operations and providing alternative structures for carbon trading markets. Less attention has been given to the social credentials of SSFF owners and their ability to influence the social licence to operate for forestry. Research was conducted by Scion under the Resilient Forest Programme to explore what gives SSFF a social licence, including how SSFF owners negotiate their licence to operate. A narrative approach was taken to explore and analyse SSFF perspectives through semi-structured interviews. Key features of the narratives included tree planting history, individual motivation, defining social licence to operate, decision-making and adaptation, and enterprise development. These and other themes were explored in the interview data to identify lessons for corporate forestry. While not all insights are directly transferable to larger operations, there are some relevant lessons derived from taking a relational view of business operations.

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