Why forest restoration needs better coordination - not just more effort

There’s growing recognition that the future of farming isn’t just about squeezing out more productivity. It’s about building resilience, restoring biodiversity, and taking real climate action. Forest restoration is central to that shift. And in many cases, we already know what good looks like.

So why is progress still so patchy?

Let’s unpack what’s holding back large-scale restoration - and why better coordination, not just more elbow grease, is the key to moving faster and smarter.

We already know what works

Picture a typical hill country farm. The flat, fertile areas stay in production. Steep slopes are retired into native regen or forestry. Waterways are fenced, erosion risks are down, and biodiversity starts bouncing back.

It’s not wishful thinking - it’s already happening across New Zealand. And when it’s done well, the benefits stack up:

• Carbon removal to offset emissions that are tough to avoid

• Cleaner waterways through reduced sediment runoff

• Thriving biodiversity, especially in native bush

• More resilient land in the face of storms and droughts

• Diversified income through access to carbon incentives

Most people we speak to see examples like these and say, “Yes, please, we want more of that.” So what’s the holdup?

The why

It’s not a lack of care. It’s the complexity of change, and the risk of going it alone. Shifting from grazing to mixed retirement or native planting isn’t a small step.

For a landholder working on their own, it can feel like a big leap:

• It costs money.

• It disrupts familiar systems.

• It creates uncertainty, especially without clear guidance.

Even the most motivated landowners can end up second-guessing themselves when the path forward is murky and the support is unclear.

But when landholders are connected - working with neighbours, catchment groups, advisors, and funders - that’s when momentum builds. The risk is shared, and the steps are clearer.

It takes a village to restore a landscape

Restoration isn’t a solo mission. To do it well, it needs everyone at the table, including:

• Landowners, who make the decisions on the ground.

• Developers and financiers, who bring funding and know-how.

• Catchment groups, who align efforts with local priorities.

• Processors and suppliers, who rely on sustainable land for long-term resilience.

• Field services and nurseries, who prepare, plant, and maintain.

• Consultants, NGOs, and government, who guide, regulate, and support.

Each of these groups brings something essential - but coordinating and collaborating? That’s a challenge in itself.

Disconnection is costing

It’s not a lack of will holding us back. It’s a lack of simple, shared systems.

Right now, restoration planning often lives in spreadsheets, email chains, PDF reports, and scattered shapefiles. All with their own formats and updates. It’s messy. It’s slow. And it’s ripe for missteps.

These projects can span years. They move through phases: from setting goals to planting, monitoring, and reporting. When the info is fragmented or hard to share, progress stalls. No matter how good the intentions.

It’s not the vision that’s wrong. It’s the execution that breaks down without a shared map.

What if restoration was easier?

Here’s the good news: we can fix the coordination problem with better tools.

Just like GPS transformed paddock management and EID tags made livestock traceable, we now have forest planning tools that make land use change faster, clearer, and more collaborative - at both farm and catchment scales.

With the right tools, landholders can:

• Map out land risks and opportunities (like erosion or stream buffers)

• Plan land use changes over time

• Align with catchment-level goals

• Share plans easily without drowning in admin

And that’s exactly what we’re building at CarbonCrop, because restoration works best when it’s a team effort.

How do the tools work?

In our CarbonCurious session we took you inside the CarbonCrop platform - showing how it’s already helping landholders and catchment groups work together to unlock better outcomes for people, land, and climate.

Keen to see how collaborative planning could support your land? Watch the recording above. We show you how it all comes together.