Lincoln University academics present at Yunnan Agricultural University’s ‘Red Soil’ lecture series

Summary

Two academics from New Zealand's Lincoln University delivered lectures at Yunnan Agricultural University's 'Red Soil' forum on the evening of 28 October 2026, attracting nearly 200 master's students from across the university. Associate Professor Peter Tait examined consumer preferences for the cultural attributes of New Zealand agri-food products from a cross-country perspective, focusing on Māori cultural attributes in beef. He conducted choice experiments in four beef export markets — the United States, the United Kingdom, China and the UAE — using consumer psychology variables to estimate willingness to pay for products carrying Māori cultural attributes, and offered recommendations for New Zealand exporters to strengthen safety and quality messaging and help Māori-themed agri-food products enter overseas markets.

Senior Lecturer Huang Qing used a sample of US-listed companies from 2007 to 2020 to empirically study how corporate exposure to biodiversity risk affects the intensity of policy-related regulation. Firms facing higher biodiversity risk must comply with more regulatory rules, raising operating costs, the research found. Further heterogeneity analysis showed that weaker regional institutional quality undermines regulatory effectiveness, while firms with higher vertical integration and stronger supply chain control can ease the compliance pressure arising from biodiversity risk.

The findings have implications for policymaking, corporate risk management and investor assessment.

Commentary

The Lincoln University research offers new thinking for New Zealand agri-food exporters. Associate Professor Peter Tait's study of willingness to pay for beef with Māori cultural attributes in the US, UK, China and UAE markets finds that cultural attributes can command a price premium. That has direct relevance for New Zealand small and medium-sized business owners: Chinese consumers may pay more for high-quality beef with a Māori cultural story, provided cultural symbols are used appropriately and not superficially.

Dr Huang Qing's work on biodiversity risk and regulatory intensity highlights a global supply chain compliance trend: environmental regulatory pressure correlates with biodiversity risk exposure, and highly vertically integrated firms cope better. New Zealand's agricultural exports depend on natural capital, so SMEs should assess their supply chain biodiversity risk early and reduce compliance costs through greater vertical integration or closer supplier partnerships. Together, the two studies point to a common trend: differentiated cultural storytelling and sustainable supply chain management are becoming new dimensions of international agri-food competition.

Keywords: Lincoln University, Yunnan Agricultural University, Red Soil lecture series, Peter Tait, Huang Qing, agri-food cultural attributes, biodiversity risk, corporate regulatory intensity, academic lecture, China-New Zealand education exchange

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Source: Yunnan Agricultural University