New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre

What New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre does

The New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (operating under the brand "Ag Emissions Centre") is a government-funded research coordination body established in 2009 and headquartered in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It invests in and coordinates research aimed at reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, operating core research programmes in methane, nitrous oxide, soil carbon, and future farm systems, alongside a dedicated Māori Research Programme and an outreach function serving New Zealand farmers and the broader pastoral, arable, and horticulture sectors. Technically, the Centre funds research into methane inhibitors for ruminant livestock, nitrous oxide reduction in soils and waste, soil carbon sequestration and measurement, and low-emissions pastoral farm system modelling, and it has produced the MiLCA Protocol as a standardized methodology for including mitigation actions in agricultural lifecycle assessment.

The Centre does not sell products or services commercially; its sole funding stream is dedicated Government of New Zealand appropriations, and all research outputs — peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, conference proceedings, factsheets, reports, and strategic documents — are distributed freely through a searchable Publications Archive and via direct outreach. Its go-to-market is event- and outreach-driven: an annual New Zealand Agriculture & Climate Change Conference, the Ireland–New Zealand Joint Research and Technology Initiative calls for proposals, a Māori research partnership model, and stakeholder communications including a LinkedIn presence. Harry Clark is identified as founder and director.

Internationally, the Centre participates in the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases, linking New Zealand researchers with 50+ member countries, and has established a 2026 joint research initiative with Ireland, accompanied by a new government-funded competitive research fund. Geographic focus remains New Zealand-dominant, with international activity framed as collaborative contribution rather than commercial market expansion.

Name

New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre

Legal name

New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre

Website

https://nzagrc.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (Ag Emissions Centre) is a government-funded research coordination body that funds and coordinates programmes to reduce agricultural methane, nitrous oxide, and soil carbon emissions for New Zealand farmers, while contributing to the Global Research Alliance internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Climate Research Services

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAHADAI

Agriculture & Land-Use MRV (Soil carbon, livestock, forestry/REDD+)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Emissions Measurement, Reporting & Verification (MRV)

SECONDARYAFACABAL

Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Crop Consulting & Agronomy Services (Soil Health, Nutrient Planning, Yield Consulting)

SECONDARYAFAGAMAH

Climate-Smart Farming & GHG Reduction (Emissions Accounting, Methane/N2O Reduction Practices)

Agriculture & Food Production/Crop Farming/Sustainable Farming Practices

Keywords

• Agricultural emissions research
• Greenhouse gas mitigation
• Methane reduction science
• Soil carbon research
• Pastoral farming systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Palmerston North

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Ag Emissions Centre receives dedicated Government of New Zealand funding to invest in and coordinate agricultural greenhouse gas research. This is the primary funding source for all operations and research programmes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (operating as the Ag Emissions Centre) is a government-funded research coordination and investment body that funds, coordinates, and disseminates research into reducing New Zealand's agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. It runs dedicated research programmes on methane, nitrous oxide, soil carbon, and future farm systems, and provides standardized methodologies such as the MiLCA Protocol for agricultural lifecycle assessment.

Product overview

The New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (Ag Emissions Centre) operates as a research coordination and investment organization rather than a commercial product company. It funds and coordinates multiple specialized research programmes focused on reducing New Zealand's agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. The core offerings include the Methane Research Programme, Nitrous Oxide Research Programme, Soil Carbon Research Programme, Future Farm Systems Programme, Māori Research Programme, and Outreach activities. Internationally, it participates in the Global Research Alliance. All research outputs are disseminated through a Publications Archive containing book chapters, conference proceedings, factsheets, peer-reviewed publications, presentations, and reports. The centre also provides the MiLCA (Mitigation Lifecycle Assessment) protocol as a standardized tool for agricultural emissions measurement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Methane Research Programme Research programme focused on reducing agricultural methane emissions from New Zealand pastoral farming, including methane inhibitors and ryegrass-based approaches.
• Nitrous Oxide Research Programme Research programme addressing nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural soils and livestock waste in New Zealand.
• Soil Carbon Research Programme Research programme investigating soil carbon sequestration potential and measurement methodologies for agricultural lands.
• Future Farm Systems Programme Research into the capacity of the New Zealand pastoral sector to achieve agricultural emissions reduction through system change, including the Future Farm Systems White Paper on the path to 2050.
• Māori Research Programme Research programme focusing on Māori agricultural practices and emissions reduction in partnership with Māori communities.
• MiLCA Protocol (Mitigation in Agricultural Lifecycle Assessment) Protocol for including Mitigation actions in Agricultural Lifecycle Assessment, enabling standardized measurement and reporting of agricultural emissions reductions.
• Publications Archive Searchable archive of published outputs from Ag Emissions Centre-funded research, including book chapters, conference proceedings, factsheets, peer-reviewed publications, presentations, reports, and strategic documents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research into methane inhibitors provides pathways to reduce enteric methane emissions from livestock
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ireland (Government)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Ireland and New Zealand established the Agriculture and Climate Change Joint Research and Technology Initiative. The 2026 Call for Proposals opened on 30 June 2026, with additional funding from the New Zealand Government enabling the Ag Emissions Centre to establish a competitive fund for joint research. This partnership accelerates agricultural emissions solutions through collaborative research.
• Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse GasescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Zealand is a world leader in research aimed at quantifying and mitigating agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. The Global Research Alliance connects New Zealand researchers with over 50 countries to advance agricultural climate change science collaboratively.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• INRAE: France's national research institute for agriculture, food and environment; conducts extensive work on agricultural GHG mitigation, nitrous oxide, soil carbon and livestock systems, comparable in mission to NZAGRC but at much greater scale.
• CSIRO: Australia's national science agency with a large agriculture and food business unit working on livestock emissions, soil carbon and climate-smart farming; broader and better-resourced than NZAGRC but covers substantially the same research domains in the same region.
• Wageningen University & Research: Dutch research organisation widely regarded as a global leader in agricultural and environmental science; operates programmes on livestock emissions, nutrient management, and sustainable farming systems that parallel NZAGRC's mission.
• USDA Agricultural Research Service: Principal in-house research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture; runs large programmes on agricultural GHG measurement, enteric methane, and soil carbon — overlapping the NZAGRC's remit at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• AgResearch: New Zealand Crown Research Institute delivering pastoral and agricultural science; directly comparable to NZAGRC in focus area (livestock emissions, soil carbon) and New Zealand geography, with overlapping methane and N2O research mandates.
• Rothamsted Research: Long-established UK agricultural research institute with globally recognised work on agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation, soil carbon, and sustainable livestock systems; closely aligned with NZAGRC's research priorities.
• Teagasc: Ireland's national agricultural research and advisory authority, and NZAGRC's explicit bilateral partner under the Ireland–NZ Joint Research and Technology Initiative; operates analogous research programmes on agricultural greenhouse gases and farm system mitigation.

Others

• Ministry for Primary Industries (NZ): New Zealand government ministry responsible for primary sector policy including agricultural emissions pricing and He Waka Eke Noa; closely tied to NZAGRC as a policy customer and funding channel rather than a research peer.
• Ministry for the Environment (NZ): NZ Government ministry leading climate change policy and emissions reduction frameworks; an adjacent stakeholder that shapes the policy and funding environment for NZAGRC's research agenda.

Emerging players

• CGIAR: Global agricultural research partnership coordinating climate-smart agriculture work across dozens of international centres; partially overlapping with NZAGRC on agricultural GHG mitigation and farm system resilience, with a strong developing-country focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-zealand-agricultural-greenhouse-gas-research-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre