Regenerative Grazing Expert Perspective on NZ Farming

Top global regenerative grazing expert visits Fieldays to share how electric fence tech helped restore desert lands his family farms.

A fourth-generation rancher from Mexico’s Chihuahuan desert, Alejandro Carrillo is recognised for his thought-leadership in regenerative practices, focusing on improving soil health and plant diversity, which can lead to more sustainable and productive pastures. He is a regular commentator and guest speaker for leading agricultural media channels on the topic across the world, featured in the recent Amazon documentary Common Ground, and in 2024, presented a TEDTalk on livestock’s role in restoring degraded land.

The Gallagher team were excited to bring Alejandro to New Zealand to showcase New Zealand farming practices and hear his views on how our methods, innovations and vision fits within the global agricultural context.

What are your main observations about New Zealand’s approach to sustainable farming practices?

NZ has a great branding around the world of being a magical, green place. Consumers buy NZ meat and milk and relate NZ products to quality and environmentally friendly.  But more can be done to sustain that positive perception in the long run.

Science is advancing to make consumers more aware of what they are buying, such as the ability to measure the nutrient density of meat and the use of chemicals on food. There are also better tools to measure life in the soil. These soil tests give us a radiography of the soil health,  telling us if farmers are regenerating or degrading the land.  NZ needs to embrace change and experimentation using the latest testing tools to establish a trend on soil health, nutrient density and the use of chemicals

 “The only way to predict the future is to create it”. 

One of the major advantages of NZ is its template climate, good soil and good rain. Current grazing methods in NZ could be improved to reduce the amount of inputs NZ farmers are depending on such as synthetic fertilizers, annual seeding and “cides”.  

What kind of grazing management is needed in NZ to improve soil health, increase the diversity of plants, animal welfare, improve the bottom line of farmers and deliver a clean, nutrient-dense product to consumers in sync with the perceived value of a green, welcoming country? I would say we need to work in sync with nature. 

Of all the innovative technologies you’ve seen during your visit, which stands out to you as most beneficial in a sustainable farming context?

Virtual fencing is for me the most promising technology out there as it has the potential to facilitate the transition from rotational grazing to regenerative grazing for the benefit of farmers and consumers. It will allow farmers to smooth the road to regenerative ranching by being able to emulate and respect nature in broken land while keeping their costs low.

Is there one area or practice you have seen during your visit where you feel New Zealand farmers can say that they are a benchmark for the rest of the world?

The use of technology such as electric fencing, and now virtual fencing, to monitor and control livestock is one of the greatest contributions of NZ to the global livestock market, in addition to the principles of rotational grazing and genetics adapted to their context.  Another promising technology I had the opportunity to see on this visit is the use of cameras and A.I. to estimate live weight, body condition and lameness in cattle in a timely, non-intrusive way.

Conversely, are there practices that you feel the New Zealand agricultural sector could benefit from adopting more widely, to improve productivity and both environmental and business sustainability?

I feel farmers would benefit by adopting the principles of regenerative rational* grazing: armor in the soil, plant and animal diversity, living roots, animal integration, minimum tillage and rational grazing to improve profitability and produce a cleaner, more nutrient-dense food.

Editor's note: Alejandro makes the distinction between rotational and rational grazing; with rational grazing building on standard rotational principles with added consideration given to factors such as climate patterns, soil microbiology and plant diversity.

Returning the biology to the soil through regenerative farm practices is not widely adopted through New Zealand yet. What advice would you give to New Zealand farmers about taking the first step to a more sustainability-led approach? 

Education is key. We cannot understand what we do see. Experiment at small scale. Create a baseline and keep what works for your farm and the consumer. Do it intentionally and fully. Do not give up at the first hurdle, be patient, our timelines are not the same as nature’s. 

One thing I observed during a farm visit in NZ is the watery, runny manure; something we sometimes accept as normal during certain times of the year when grasses are growing. This runny manure is not desirable. We need to provide our pastures with ‘Green and Gold’ so our livestock can select what they need to keep their digestion working properly until grasses reach their optimal point. By grazing too much Green without stockpile grass or hay (Gold) we are wasting our grasses; sometimes up to 30% overconsumption. This can compromise the immune system of our livestock if they only eat immature grass, not to mention an increase in methane gases due to improper digestion. This is something farmers should keep in mind.

New Zealand farmers are witnessing impacts of climate change such as increasingly frequent weather events.  Many farmers may have to rethink the way that they manage their land for best results in the future.  What advice would you give to our farmers to address this challenge? 

Education and experimentation are key to adopting new ways of managing land to deal with the new reality of unpredictable weather. But farmers cannot do it alone. I think the NZ government needs to support the transition by providing some financial support to help farmers move to regenerative agriculture through education, infrastructure and technology, as it is done in other countries.