SDG 2 - Zero Hunger

Supporting staff food access

The University recognises that food insecurity can affect staff as well as students. While the University's Foodbank is primarily focused on student support, staff are encouraged to access available food services and wellbeing resources. Staff experiencing hardship are encouraged to speak with HR.

• Affordable meals – Staff can access nutritious, low-cost meals at the Grounded café, which offers a daily hot meal
• Campus cafés – All three cafés (Mrs O’s, Grounded, and Pātaka Kai) are open to staff, students, and the public, offering a range of healthy and inclusive food options
• Inclusive catering – Dietary needs are considered in all campus food services, supporting staff with specific health or cultural requirements.

National hunger

Feeding the world through developing more sustainable agriculture is a key focus for Lincoln University. We work closely with government, food producers and farmers to promote and improve sustainable farming practices and better food security. This work supports national and international food security efforts.

Our outreach

Lincoln University provides a range of educational outreach around food security and sustainable agriculture to farmers and industry partners. This is mainly through our research and demonstration farms. Our research farms include two dairy farms, a small high-country run, sheep breeding and finishing units as well as vineyards, hops garden, horticultural research area and a plant nursery on campus. We also have two dedicated partnerships for demonstration in the dairy sector. Each week, these farms host farm walks. Farm data is available for free online and summarised in weekly newsletters. The focus is on:

•  Environment
• Animal Care
• People – workplace, community and Culture
• Farm Performance and Business Health.

 In 2024, four demonstration focus days were held. 345 people attended, with nearly 70% from the farming and rural professional sector. Another 3700 people outside of Lincoln University visited the farms in 2024. Events included: demonstrations of dairy farm systems and improved milk quality, on farm training in the use of platemeters to measure the quality of pasture, hoof health, trials of low nitrogen, irrigation training and animal welfare training.

Another example of outreach to the farming community, ensuring farmers have access to knowledge and information to effectively use their land and manage food production sustainably while protecting natural resources, is through the Lincoln University Dryland Pastures Research Group.  The group is committed to giving farmers science-based information and support to change farm systems. They work with Beef + Lamb New Zealand to provide a free text service with seasonal lucerne management advice direct to farmers’ mobile phones. Currently, over 1200 farmers and industry professionals are registered.  They receive real-time on-farm solutions, improving farming practices, efficiencies, and productivity.

Events for farmers and food producers

Lincoln University holds a range of collaborative events for farmers and food producers through our State of the Land series. This initiative connects the farming and agrifoods industries with science and each other. Through thought leadership events, expert-led debates, community forums, and evidence-based reports, we are telling the real story of land and food— its health, its challenges, and its future.  These events create a space for discussion, collaboration, and fresh perspectives on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the land-based industries. They all include a dedicated time and space for networking.

In 2024, we held 28 events attended by nearly 2000 people. Almost half of attendees were from the farming and agrifood sector. Events included discussions on the shift to smart farming, the future of NZ’s Agricultural Workforce, the growth of the green economy, farmer wellbeing, and cultivating a sustainable future together

Another 14 events were held for farmers and food producers through the Lincoln University Centre of Excellence – Transformative Agribusiness. These included Exploring Sustainable Diets: Environmental Impacts and Nutritional Quality., Global and Local Approaches to Climate-Resilient Land Use, and a Genetic Perspective on Beef Production Sustainability.

Access for farmers and food producers to Lincoln University facilities

As well as partnering with farmers and farming organisations, Lincoln University has facilities available to farmers and food producers to improve sustainable farming practices and national food production. Examples include:

Sustainable food purchases 
Lincoln University incorporates sustainability into its procurement process and, where possible, advocates for using local suppliers for goods and services as part of its Sustainable Purchasing Principles.  

See Lincoln University Procurement Policy 

Connecting plant, animal and human health

Lincoln University researchers, led by Professor Pablo Gregorini, have identified a clear link between an innovative grazing management approach for cattle and significant health benefits for humans. The research outcomes demonstrated that beef cattle grazing from a selection of five separate strips of monoculture plant species (Adjacent Monoculture Strips or AMS), recorded up to 15% higher average daily weight gain and greater meat colour than cows grazing a conventional ryegrass-based pasture (perennial ryegrass) or those grazing a complex multispecies of 30 species.

Meat from the test animals was then consumed as cooked beef patties in human trials over six weeks. The participants’ blood was tested at zero, three, and five hours after each meal. Blood samples from the trial participants who ate the AMS beef showed that their metabolisms were advantageously affected by consuming the test beef. Most significantly was an increased presence of Vitamin E (Gamma tocopherol), hydroxymethylglutaryl and arginine.

Underpinning the groundbreaking research is the discovery that the specific metabolomic properties of the five plant species grown in AMS strips, when foraged by the cows by choice, positively affected their metabolism. This finding highlights the interrelationships between plant, animal and human health and demonstrates the beneficial human health outcomes associated with consuming higher-welfare food products.

The Lincoln research team also conducted trials with dairy cows, sheep and deer using the AMS grazing system, achieving similar results in animal performance, environmental impact and welfare.

Demonstrating best practice sustainable farming 

Owl Farm is a joint venture between St Peter’s School Cambridge and Lincoln University, established to take on a leadership role in demonstrating best practice dairy farming and sustainable farming practices on a working farm.

The dairy farm annually opens its farm gates to the public to share agricultural knowledge with those in the industry and beyond. Owl Farm also provides an opportunity for school-aged children to learn about the career opportunities in the food and fibre industries.

The annual open day features stands hosted by industry partners, including Lincoln University, PGG Wrightson Seeds, Fonterra Farm Source, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, and Dairy NZ. Children who visited on the Open Day were given a dairy expert passport containing questions, with answers found at each stand. Activities on the farm included calculating the pH levels of different drinks, discovering the nutrients plants need to grow, and watching the cows being milked.