Jacqueline Sara Rowarth is a New Zealand

agronomist An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.), is a professional in the science, practice, and management of agriculture and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, the Philippines, the ...

dairy farmer Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history that ...

and science administrator. "Jacqueline Rowarth - farmer elected director"
dairynz.co.nz. Retrieved 14 February 2023.

Career

Rowarth has an

Agricultural Science Agricultural science (or agriscience for short) is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. Profession ...

degree with first class honours in Environmental Agriculture, and obtained a PhD in

Soil science Soil science is the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the Earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to th ...

from

Massey University Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...

, with a 1987 thesis titled '' 'Phosphate cycling in grazed hill-country pasture. Rowarth taught Plant Science at Lincoln University. She returned to New Zealand to Massey University as full professor. In October 2016 Rowarth became the first Chief Scientist of the Environmental Protection Authority. In 2018 Rowarth resigned from her role at the Environmental Protection Authority. It was later revealed that the EPA was warned her behaviour was damaging trust in the organisation, apparently due to comments to the media. According to Rowarth she was often misquoted. As of 2021, Rowarth is a farmer-elected representative on the board of DairyNZ. She is currently a director of DairyNZ. Rowarth has criticised

veganism Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...

. She has argued that a vegan diet will not save the planet from

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

and has also argued that an omnivorous diet including a moderate amount of

dairy product Dairy products or milk products, also known as lacticinia, are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, nanny goat, and ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food items in th ...

s and

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

delivers the required nutrients per person for least environmental impact.

Recognition

Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant (document), royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of New Zealand, Queen of New Zealand, "for those ...

, for services to agricultural science, in the

2008 Queen's Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 2008 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part of the Queen's Of ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowarth, Jacqueline Sara Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit Companions of the Royal Society of New Zealand Critics of veganism Academic staff of Lincoln University (New Zealand) Massey University alumni Academic staff of Massey University New Zealand soil scientists New Zealand women academics Academic staff of the University of Waikato