Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are high on British and New Zealand government agenda. Some 7-12% of UK GHG emissions come from agriculture, compared to almost 50% in New Zealand. The UK and New Zealand governments have both committed priority funding to research in the area, and it is in all countries' interests to advance the research as quickly as possible. New Zealand, Australia and the UK have built substantive teams of scientists who are working on the problem.

Seven UK scientists visited New Zealand at the end of November 2007 to undertake discussions with New Zealand counterparts on potential collaborative research and development to mitigate the emission of nitrous oxide and methane from ruminant agricultural systems. Five participants came from the Institute for Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER), one from the University of Wales, and one from the Scottish Agricultural College.

The High Commission’s purpose in assembling the delegation and hosting a one-day meeting of UK and NZ researchers at the High Commissioner’s residence was to bring researchers and firms together in a focussed setting where they could exchange specific scientific information and proposals.

While in New Zealand, the UK team also attended a 3-day international conference organised by New Zealand, with 27 countries participating, on greenhouse gases and animal agriculture, plus a one-day international networking event on 1 December. In addition, the team spent a day hosted by Lincoln University and two days hosted by AgResearch and Massey University, on research being carried out in those centres.

As a result of the day’s discussion, collaboration opportunities emerged in eleven areas, ranging from near-commercial to longer-term research:

1. Joint Aberystwyth/AgResearch work on probiotic delivery mechanisms - joint work on the active substance and ways of preserving its life.
2. Potential for the UK’s Neem Biotech to develop links in New Zealand with regard to the potential for garlic products to control methane emissions from ruminants.
3. Joint IGER/Landcare work on laser/FTIR methodologies for pasture-based greenhouse gas measurement, and on carbon cycling methodologies.
4. Joint Scottish Agricultural College (SAC)/IGER/NZ Landcare work on DNDC (DeNitrification-DeComposition) computer simulation model of carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry in agro-ecosystems.
5. Joint SAC/Dexcel work on whole-farm modelling.
6. Joint SAC/Landcare work on mitigation strategies for the ruminant sector.
7. Joint IGER/NZMAF work on cataloguing greenhouse gases.
8. Joint IGER/AgResearch discussions on high-sugar grasses for ruminant nitrous oxide reduction. Agreement reached to link national programmes to be initiated by a grant application made to the BBSRC in the UK.
9. A Technique-sharing forum between Aberystwyth and New Zealand researchers.
10. Joint IGER/Vialactia development of two research proposals to BBSRC and the EU on physical mapping and sequencing of the ryegrass genome.
11. Continuing links to explore potential for further collaborative opportunities.

The financial support of the Welsh Government, the BBSRC, DEFRA, the FCO, the British Grassland Society, IGER, University of Wales and the Scottish Agricultural College is gratefully acknowledged in enabling this mission to proceed. In addition, New Zealand sponsored one of the team to speak at its 3-day conference. Publicity will be created surrounding the event itself, plus future collaborations and collaborative results as they come to fruition. To support this, and subsequent missions, the High Commission created the post of Science and Innovation Promoter in 2007, jointly sponsored by UKTI, NZTE, InvestNI, the Government Office of Science, and the FCO, to promote research links between British and New Zealand research and technology institutions. Support from these sponsors also played an essential role in the success of the mission.