Kiwi science-led studio Geo Applied Realities (Geo A.R.) and the Bioeconomy Science Institute have together taken one of New Zealand’s toughest balancing acts, how our farmers navigate a changing environment and economy, and turned it into a multiplayer digital life simulation the whole world can enjoy.
Launched internationally in Bath at the beginning of September, Future Farming Challenge is the latest in a growing line of Geo A.R. experiences built to answer a question researchers have wrestled with for decades, how do you make people feel what the science means, rather than merely reading about it?
This time, the science hits close to home. Few subjects carry higher stakes for New Zealand: farming underpins the country’s export economy and the life of its rural communities, yet every decision ripples far beyond the farm gate into waterways, wildlife, and the towns that depend on the land.
Future Farming Challenge compresses that reality into something anyone can experience. It is built to leave people thinking differently about the future of farming in New Zealand, the decisions behind every paddock and plate, and the changes everyday people can make to create a better place to live.
That shift, says Jolene Hellund, Geo A.R.’s Director of Delivery and Partnerships, starts with getting the science off the page.
“Science research and reports are very detailed, and it can be challenging for the average person to know what the science means or what they should be doing differently. Simulations bridge the gap between science, knowledge, and lived experience. They let you experience the future before it happens.”
Future Farming Challenge puts that philosophy to work. The development has been a collaborative effort by the Bioeconomy Science Institute, Geo A.R., Hot Mustard, Urban Intelligence, Public Health and Forensic Science Institute, LHL Consulting, the University of Canterbury and CSIRO. The simulation drops players into the role of a New Zealand farmer on a shared catchment of three farms, navigating three rounds of seasonal decision-making. They manage paddocks, wetlands, horticulture, and technology, balancing productivity against the long-term health of land, water, and community. Every choice plays out visibly on the farm board, so consequences accumulate, and the trade-offs between economic survival and environmental stewardship become something felt, not just explained.
“There’s not often a perfect solution,” Hellund says. “Farmers are constantly trying to balance productivity, profitability, environmental outcomes, climate resilience, biodiversity, water, emissions, and changing markets. The simulation gives you the ability to experiment with different decisions and outcomes.”
No farmer makes those decisions in isolation, and in the Future Farming Challenge, players experience real-world scenarios that involve wider decision-making. A player can propose a wetland that benefits the whole catchment, then negotiate the cost split with two neighbouring farms, who must agree before it goes ahead. In academic circles, the format is known as a serious game (adaptation simulation), a category used by social scientists worldwide.
Principal Scientist with Urban Intelligence (UI) and Geo A.R. Science advisor Paula Blackett knows the format better than most. As a collaborator on Future Farming Challenge, she has worked with Geo A.R. on three earlier projects, Future Coasts Aotearoa, My Coastal Futures, and Township Flood Challenge. Each time, the studio turned her vision into an experience people can learn from, connect with, and enjoy.
“Serious games bring problems to life in a relatable way, and package complex information in a simple, digestible way,” Blackett says. “They allow people to bypass decision paralysis, and to experiment in a safe environment with actions they may not normally take.”
The hope for Future Farming Challenge is no different.
“We want players to experience for themselves the tensions involved in making decisions on a farm,” she says. “It is a tool to discuss different farming futures, and a springboard to explore possibilities.”
The project grew out of Moving the Middle, an MBIE funded BSI research programme focused on overcoming the sense of inertia many farmers feel in a complex and overwhelming environment. The research team began by asking farmers, rural professionals, and policy-makers to sort 55 statements about farming, the environment, Māori, and the economy by how closely each matched their own thinking. The six viewpoints that emerged became the simulation’s starting point.
For Peter Edwards, a senior researcher on the programme, the goal of the serious game is real-world change, with farmers adopting new approaches that improve environmental and community outcomes while keeping the business viable. Its potential, he believes, stretches well beyond New Zealand.
“Many of these farming issues are not unique to New Zealand, they are found around the world,” Edwards says. “We don’t expect farmers or others to immediately change the decisions they make, rather these conversations will plant a seed. It is these reflections that may eventually give them the confidence to do something differently.”
Farmers and landowners gave the serious game a warm reception at the recent Moving the Middle symposium in Wellington. Browser-based and built with accessibility in mind, it is designed to travel into schools, councils, and community settings, while anonymised analytics show researchers which pathways players favour, insight that can inform future policy.
The debut itself came on 7 September at the Earth System Governance Early Career Day in Bath, where the digital experience was demonstrated side by side with its original tabletop version.
With partnerships spanning the globe, the team shows no sign of slowing down. And Hellund is clear about what drives the work.
“There are so many exciting ideas and projects out there to help communities,” she says. “That’s the space we feel very privileged to be in.”
