Qualification details
Title
New Zealand Certificate in Sustainable Primary Production (Level 4)
Version
1
Qualification type
Certificate
Level
4
Credits
70
NZSCED
050199
Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies > Agriculture >
Agriculture not elsewhere classified
Qualification developer
Primary ITO
Next review
December 2019
Approval date
May 2015
Strategic purpose statement
The purpose of this qualification is to provide the land based
primary industries with individuals who are able to develop and
manage sustainable land based production.
This qualification is designed to recognise those graduates who
have undertaken projects that focus specifically on improving
sustainability in our environment.
Learners will benefit by having the skills and knowledge to plan
and manage sustainable practices for a land based production
system to meet the requirements of a recognised production
standard.
Primary industries and local communities will benefit by having
graduates who are able to implement sustainability practices for
the long term benefit of communities and the environment.
This qualification is ideally suited to people who have some
experience in the primary industries, or who are capable of
transferring their prior skills and knowledge.
Graduates will be capable of working in a self-managed capacity,
and may have some responsibility for the performance of others.
Graduate profile
Graduates of the qualification will be able to:
Outcome Statement
-
Qualification Reference 2685
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
evaluate a land based system for compliance with a
sustainability production standard.
(20 credits)
-
plan sustainability practices for a land based system in
compliance with a production standard
(20 credits)
-
implement and monitor sustainability practices in a land
based process or activity, within a wider system, to meet
sustainable production goals and compliance with a
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sustainable production standard.
(30 credits)
Education pathway
This qualification may build on the New Zealand Certificate in
Land Based Sustainability Practices (Level 3) [Ref: 2684] and
may lead on to qualifications in agriculture or horticulture at Level
5 or above.
Employment pathway
Graduates of this qualification are likely to be employed as
growers, farmers, land based practitioners, environmental
officers, compliance officers, or farm effluent managers.
Qualification specifications
Qualification award
This qualification may be awarded by the Primary ITO as the
qualification developer and the industry training organisation
arranging training leading to the qualification under section 5 of
the Industry Training Act 1992.
This qualification may also be awarded by an education
organisation accredited under section 250 of the Education Act
1989 to deliver an approved programme leading to this
qualification.
The formal document certifying the award of this qualification will
display the NZQF logo and may also include the name and/or
logo of the awarding education organisation.
Evidence requirements for
assuring consistency
All education organisations offering programmes leading to the
qualification must engage with arrangements for managing
consistency, including covering actual and reasonable related
costs.
Each education organisation is responsible for deciding what
specific evidence it will provide to demonstrate how well its
graduates meet the graduate profile outcomes of the
qualification.
Evidence of the following must be provided:
 Student feedback on course delivery and qualification
achievement, their perception of the value of the training,
and suggestions for improvements
 Feedback from employers on the level of skills,
knowledge and behaviour demonstrated by graduates of
the qualification
 Evidence of effective internal quality assurance systems
 Portfolios of work and/or assessment samples
demonstrating the range of student performance within a
programme
TEOs can also provide any other relevant evidence that supports
the consistency review.
Qualification Reference 2685
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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Minimum standard of
achievement and standards for
grade endorsements
Other requirements for the
qualification (including regulatory
body or legislative requirements
The minimum standard of achievement required for award of
the qualification will be the achievement of all graduate
outcomes in the graduate profile through successful completion
of an NZQA approved programme.
None.
General conditions for the programme leading to the qualification
General conditions for
programme
Sustainability is defined as a healthy environment based on
healthy functioning ecosystems that provide for the well-being
of society both now and into the future (MEnv).
Examples of production systems include: monoculture, mixed
farm, agro-forestry.
TEOs offering programmes leading to this qualification must
maintain currency with amendments to, and replacements of,
relevant legislation, and regulations including but not limited to
the Resource Management Act (1991), Treaty of Waitangi;
and consideration of New Zealand’s obligations under the
Kyoto Protocol.
Health and safety applies across all outcomes.
This qualification may be completed in conjunction with, or
following completion of agriculture or horticulture production
qualifications at an appropriate level.
Conditions relating to the Graduate profile
Qualification outcomes
Conditions
1
Production standards may include, or apply to, any of the
following:
2
Evaluate a land based
system for compliance with a
sustainable production
standard
Plan sustainable practices for
a land based system in
compliance with a production
standard
Qualification Reference 2685
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015

Regional Council (air, water, coastal)

Ministry for the Environment

Horticulture NZ

Integrated Fruit Production

Sustainable Winegrowers

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA)

Eurogap
Examples of sustainable practices include:

Nutrient budgeting

Management practices (soil structure, waste, effluent, air
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quality, water)

Water use and quality enhancement

Planting (riparian, wetland, companion, green crop, animal
fodder, land stabilisation)

Biofuel crop production

Local food production

Conservation (land, energy)

Carbon sequestration
Must include at least two types of sustainable practices.
3
Implement and monitor
sustainable practices in a
land based process or
activity, within a wider
system, to meet sustainable
production goals and
compliance with a
sustainable production
standard.
Qualification Reference 2685
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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