RELAXED COUNTRY MUSIC NZ may be a small country, but in the wider world, what we do, use and consume affects lives everywhere. So I'm on a mission to see how we're treating our backyards, both here and further afield. What are we doing to be cleaner and greener? What do we need to change? And what does the future hold? So join me, Te Radar, as I go global. Don't worry ` I'll plant plenty of trees to offset the travel. Now, where's my passport? Copyright Able 2015 Nature is a powerful force, but it's not only the elements we can see that are at work. We're part of a complex ecosystem where there is a constant struggle for survival. All living things have developed a myriad of ways to thrive in the face of adversity. So nature may hold the key to reducing our dependence on artificial chemicals in everything from health to farming. I'm on a journey to find people who are on the right track when it comes to natural solutions, because when it comes to survival, we can't just be passengers, which is why I'm up front with driver Mark. HORN BLARES You would've seen the glory days where everyone travelled by train. Oh, yes. In the old days you'd stop middle of bloody farmland to pick up a farmer's wife. You know, that's` You can't do that now. No. No. You're not allowed to do it, anyway. No. You're not allowed to do it, anyway. Does less stops make it easier? Less stops is always good, but then again, if you are picking up passengers, you want passengers. > Yeah. ARCHIVE: Natural hazards in the South Island emphasise the need for an all-weather outlet from Canterbury to the West Coast, and funds have already been set aside for this important project. Only the highest standards in engineering can prevail against this ` the unleashed strength, the blind, brute force of nature. Not just on the train for a pleasure journey. I'm on a mission to see a man about a bee. Actually, want to see a man about a lot of bees, which is a big concern, because a single bee has the potential to take my life. I'm allergic to them. At least, I think I am. I certainly was as a child. Had a near-death experience when I was stung in the gumboot region, and I swelled up like a Zeppelin, and my father had to drive me very briskly to the doctor to have a life-saving injection. So I'm a little bit concerned. I don't wanna be killed by a bee. Embarrassing. I'm on my way to Punakaiki to see beekeeper Roy. MAN: How's it going? MAN: How's it going? Good, thanks. Hi. Hi. Hi. He was shipping organic honey to the US, but the varroa mite nearly wiped him out. Being committed to natural solutions, Roy's tinkering with the size of his honeycombs to try to get his hives humming again. Morning. Morning. How's things? What is it about bees that you like? Cos you've been all over the world; you've done all kinds of things. You were a mountaineer; you were in Antarctica; you, you know, worked on oil rigs, and here you are looking after bees. I don't know. Don't ask me. I-I don't know why. Don't know why, but I love them. We've had some famous beekeepers. Edmund Hillary ` That's right. That's right. beekeeper and mountaineer. You ` beekeeper and mountaineer. (LAUGHS) I'm not famous. What is it about mountaineers and beekeepers? I don't know. Don't ask me. About four or five friends that are beekeepers, and they're mountaineers too. (LAUGHS) Your honey's organic. Your honey's organic. Yep. Is that because...? Is that because...? It's supposed to be. Laboratories do a multi-residue test. I say, 'What does that cover? Does that cover, uh, Roundup, "2,4,5-T", "2,4-D?"' 'No, no, it doesn't cover any of that. 'Doesn't cover any heavy metals. Doesn't cover lead, copper, any of those. Doesn't cover that.' Um, there was something else it didn't cover. Doesn't cover 1080. (LAUGHS) All the things that you could have a problem with, they don't test for. All the things that you could have a problem with, they don't test for. No, they don't. The dust from the 1080, it goes on to the rata vine; the bees fly up to the rata vine, and that's it ` 1080. Right. Right. Could be in the honey, but no one tests for it. 1080 is not going away, but Roy has a plan to thwart varroa. The varroa mite breeds inside the baby bee, and it causes the bee to come out with no wings. Apart from using insecticides or poisons, there's no way of stopping it. This cell is 4.9mm, compared to 5.4. Theory is that the bee pupa is eight hours less in the cell, so the varroa haven't got time to breed or can't breed or something like that. That means then there's no chemicals put into the hive. Quite glad I'm sitting over here. And so do you think it's working? I don't know. I won't know for another year. It looks like it is. See that? These are drones. See that big cell there? Oh right, so that` that's them being hatched? Oh right, so that` that's them being hatched? That's them being hatched. Feel it's quite a special moment seeing those drones hatching out, coming out to do whatever it is they do. > Mate with a female. That's their job. That's their job. That's right. Little wonder they're itching to get outta there. Little wonder they're itching to get outta there. That's right. You can see them. They wanna get out straight away. The time will come when the varroa becomes resistant to all the chemicals. Then what happens? I don't know. We'll have a solution to the unemployment problem, cos everyone'll have to be out in the fields, pollinating plants by hand. That's right. Just like China. That's right. Just like China. Just like China. And on that day, we will all think, 'Oh, if only we'd paid a bit more attention to the bees.' 'Oh, if only we'd paid a bit more attention to the bees.' That's quite right. Listening to nature is something our forebears did a lot of. Admittedly, they didn't always hear the right message. In the past, people thought that what a fruit or vegetable looked like was indicative of what it was good for. Walnuts were considered to be good for the brain. Beetroot was said to be good for the blood. Ginger resembles the stomach, hence it's good for digestion. And tomatoes ` good for the heart. Modern medicine pooh-poohs a lot of this tradition. What if some of nature's potions are just what the doctor ordered? Mmm. That's nature at its finest. My smoothie has nothing on what's being brewed up in Paeroa. Dave and Matt from Enzo Nutraceuticals think that when it comes to Pinus radiata, they're barking up the right tree. They're working on a bark-based superantioxidant that helps with brain injuries. If you look very closely at bark, it's got these layers. The tree has to live for hundreds of years, and it's the bark that helps the tree and protects the tree from pests and from UV over that time. Nature has evolved over millions of years to protect the tree from the ravages of the environment. I guess most people probably just think about a tree as being, you know, wood, and then occasionally some leaves fall off it, but no one looks at the bark and thinks, 'What a wonderfully useful substance.' So from here it goes into the machine? Yeah, it goes into the mulcher, which makes a powder out of the bark, and that mixes with the water. A pilot trial by AUT found the pine-bark extract helped improve memory in patients with concussive injuries. We freeze-dry the liquid extract from the bark. This is basically what goes into the capsules. See what it tastes like. Mm. Not` Not great. Mm. Not` Not great. Very astringent. It's astringent, and it's sort of appeared to suck all of the moisture from my tongue. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. It's got a kind of timbery taste. I know that, having eaten a bit of sawdust over the years. BOTH LAUGH But I suspect that's probably better for me. Uh, that's why we put it in a capsule, you see ` so that you don't have to taste it when you take it. You can see this is the extract as we have it as a liquid. It's an awesome colour, actually. You can` You can use it for wood stain too. I've done it at home. (LAUGHS) Makes` Makes` Is there`? Is there no end`? Makes` Is there`? Is there no end`? Makes beautiful shelves. No time for DIY, because it's hola, South America, home of terra incognita, or the unknown land of the Amazon. New discoveries are constantly being found here. There's berries you can use for soap, plants to treat kidney and heart disease and a mushroom that could revolutionise landfills by eating polyurethane plastic. Scientists believe it could take 400 years just to identify everything here. Of course, we may not have 400 years, as the Amazon is threatened by deforestation for agriculture, mining and oil extraction. It's entirely possible that many of the natural solutions may already be lost, casually consumed by our desire for modern conveniences. I'm in Cuba, home to Fidel, Raul and Che. One of the biggest revolutions here wasn't political but agricultural. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Cuba's supply of imported fuel and fertilisers did too. They were forced to return to organic farming to survive. There's no doubting that Havana has a certain old-world charm, but I suspect that when I leave here, I'm gonna be entering an even older world and one that I think is gonna provide us with some valuable lessons for the future. If only I can figure out how to get out of town. Cubans' mastery of this old-world knowledge is now sought after by a new world seeking to reduce its reliance on chemicals. Like this urban organoponico, backyards and vacant lots around Havana are mini farms, growing 4 million tons of organic fruit and vegetables every year. ROOSTER CROWS IN DISTANCE I've left the fast pace of Havana behind and headed to the provinces, where Tony is showing me around Cuba's fincas, or farms. Wilfredo has one of the finest fincas to be found. Hola. Hola. Hola. Hola. Hola. This is Wilfredo, all right. Hola. Wilfredo. Hola. Wilfredo. Radar. It's a beautiful farm. Do they use any, uh, sprays, pesticides? Do they use any, uh, sprays, pesticides? Usar un algun pesticida? No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no. No, none? No, no, no, no. No, none? No, no. Todo natural. He say it's all natural. He say it's all natural. Is this a typical farm. He say it's all natural. Is this a typical farm. Hay alguna finca... He says there are more than 20 farmers around this area. They actually do the ecological thing. Right. No quimica, no fertilizar. No quimica, no fertilizar. No chemical. No quimica, no fertilizar. No chemical. Bravo. Yeah. Fantastico. Mucha rotacione de cultivo. He says they normally have, you know, all different sorts of crops in different parts, cos that keeps the bugs away. We call it companion planting. We call it companion planting. Companion planting. > We call it companion planting. Companion planting. > Like, uh, plants that are... friends. Amigo` Amigo planting. There's amigo farming going on here too. Wilfredo's rabbits eat the weeds to feed the worms which feed the plants to go back into the bunnies. And they also eat the rabbits. And they also eat the rabbits. Yeah, they're tasty-looking wabbits. (SPEAKS SPANISH) (SPEAKS SPANISH) They have a lot of bees. These are special Cuban bees? These are special Cuban bees? Endemica de Cuba. These are special Cuban bees? Endemica de Cuba. They are indigenous. Do they sting? Do they sting? No pica. No. He says they don't sting. They don't sting. Well, that's lucky, cos they might kill me. They don't sting. Well, that's lucky, cos they might kill me. (SPEAKS SPANISH) No, no. No pica, no pica. No, no. No pica, no pica. He say, 'No. No fear. They don't bite.' These are the most placid, tranquil bees I think I've ever seen. Anywhere else, the bees would be all crazy. Cuban bees. I think we need to bring some of those into NZ. I think we need to bring some of those into NZ. (SPEAKS SPANISH) Oh, now I'm gonna die. BEES BUZZ (SPEAKS SPANISH) Gracias. Beautiful. That is really beautiful. I think that's some of the nicest honey I've had in a really long time. You could drink that. That honey is actually nice enough to... (WHIMPERS) risk death for. (CHUCKLES) Ah, I'm terrified of bees because of their ability to... (SMACKS LIPS) kill me to death. (WHIMPERS) Moving gently away from where the bees are, back to an area that's safe, probably over here. I say that, although I'm carrying the honey, and the honey is what the honeybee wants. La ginger gringo. The honey hombre. QUAINT ACOUSTIC MUSIC That's one of the nicest views, I think, of anywhere I've ever been. Maybe I could move here and be a very average gardener. Maybe I could move here and be a very average gardener. (SPEAKS SPANISH) (SPEAKS SPANISH) He says you have a house here. He says you have a house here. I could, yeah, put my tent up on the lawn, work down there. I could live here. Medicine verde is part of the revolution too. Modern drugs aren't easily imported, so herbal remedies are prescribed as often as conventional pharmaceuticals. They also develop cutting-edge vaccines. A promising Cuban treatment for lung cancer is undergoing trials in Britain. Cuba is home to six UN-recognised biospheres, like Las Terrazas ` a virgin rainforest with one of the world's smallest frogs, a hummingbird the size of a bee and some lovely, if worrying, swimming holes. The great thing about a biosphere is just how much biodiversity there is, but I'm really hoping that that doesn't extend to some kind of water snake or a tiny fish that swims into your nether regions. Should ask a local, but I'm not sure what the Cuban phrase for, 'Excuse me. Is there a genital-threatening fish in your waterways?' actually is. Las Terrazas also boasts Cuba's first eco-resort and my bed for the night. Always thought that a biosphere was sort of generally a large dome filled with natural things, inhabited by people in white pantsuits. Turns out that's not necessarily the case. What it can be is essentially a national park ` no mining, no logging, just leaving all of the little animals and invertebrates and birds to do whatever it is that they do ` generally, eat each other, I would imagine. Circle of life and death. I was particularly glad that I didn't become part of that. Although, having said that,... Although, having said that,... INSECT BUZZES Although, having said that,... INSECT BUZZES ...I haven't survived the night. Don't even know what that insect is out there outside my bio-yurt. Don't really know what else to call it. I'm quite glad that it's up above the ground, but it is a little bit more difficult to... use the conveniences. And then you gotta think, 'I can't go and stand behind a tree. What if I'm contaminating the biosphere?' Someone in a white pantsuit will come up and say, 'Hey, y` you can't do that.' And I've already done it. Sorry. CRICKETS CHIRP If I thought it was warm in Cuba, it's even warmer in this glasshouse near Pukekohe. Thankfully, like much of Cuba, it too is chemical-free. That's because grower Peter was game enough to trial a NZ product that controls bugs naturally. We were at a point where insecticides were not working properly. When this product come along, we thought we would trial it. Within four weeks, we could see that on the leaves. What would you have done if this hadn't turned up? Possibly wouldn't be able to be still growing cucumbers. Certainly not without major insecticides. Which, of course, people aren't all that keen on. Which, of course, people aren't all that keen on. No. Nobody wants chemicals. The man behind it is Stephen from Biotelliga in Pukekohe. He's a fun guy who's breeding fungi to kill bugs. Thank you. We're growing fungi in a supermedium where it's rapidly producing what we call blastospores. They literally blow a hole through the side of the insect, then the fungus puts a root system inside the insect, injects a whole number of toxins and then uses the insect as a food source. It sounds a bit horrific. It's not a pleasant way to die for the insect, but it's completely non-toxic to us, which is why we're growing them. One of the great beauties of NZ is that we've been so separated from Gondwanaland for such a long period of time that our fungus has innately developed other ways. Kiwis are proud of their nature, innovation via number eight wire and all these sort of things, and we've developed that culture because of our distance. Well, these have done exactly the same thing at a micro level. It's a true pathway towards removing toxic pesticides from the food chain. There literally could be trillions of these things at a microscopic level that we're able to harness and then change pesticides, change medicine. NZ could lead the world in green tech and actually being the biopesticide capital of the world rather than digging holes in the ground and destroying fauna and microflora that's indigenous to NZ. And in that process, we've got data that shows that we could earn between $750 million and $1 billion by 2025 using exactly the four technologies that we're developing here and at AgResearch in Lincoln. It's amazing that the survivability of the planet could all come from a discovery made here in Pukekohe. Wouldn't that be great? Put Pukekohe on the map for more than just potatoes and The Glenbrook Vintage Railway. ARCHIVE: There is a new laboratory at Taita. The anatomy of soils is studied microscopically, individual small fungi picked out and grown in Petri dishes. How much copper in this soil solution? One part in a million? One part in 10 million? Add it to the growing solution for the mould aspergillus, and the spores give the answer ` the more copper there is, the darker the spores are. There's a region in NZ keen to put itself on the map for being natural. Pure Hawke's Bay are a group determined to keep the area GE-free. I'm meeting organic farmer Scott, who believes we shouldn't be too quick to leap on the GE bandwagon. Hello, Radar. Nice to see you. Hello, Radar. Nice to see you. Good to see you. Great welcoming committee. Yes. I hope they behave themselves. Let's go. You get folk who say, 'There's gonna be nine billion people in 30 years. 'The only way we're gonna feed them is by the use of science to forward this food production onwards.' We don't wanna compete with Brazil in soya beans. Brazil's doing millions of acres of GE soya bean and maize and the likes. We want to be supplying a top-end food market. Maybe NZ can produce enough food for 24 million people, not two billion or six billion or something. Right. It does look to my relatively untrained eye not a bad harvest of carrots. < Obviously these are all organic. < Obviously these are all organic. They are. You got guys there pulling these out by hand. Is there not a machine that can do that? The machine is actually very hard on the soil, and for us, the answer lies in the soil very much. It's all about having a great, crumbly structure to our soil. It's better to have the quality of the hand harvest. Don't snap them, Radar. If you snap, you'll break the crown out, and when you do that, you've got a wound. Gosh. Who knew that harvesting carrots was such a delicate sort of business? (CHUCKLES) > (CHUCKLES) > There's so much of this that people don't really appreciate. I encourage people to grow some of their own veggies, because when you go and buy them in a supermarket, it's not all about how cheap can you buy it for; it's about how you value. This is certainly not something I imagine you would see a lot of these days is people weeding an onion field. No, and it's the only way we can do it ` looking after the quality of the onions, keeping it weed-free ` because onions don't like competition from other species of plants, such as weeds and the like, so we keep it clean right the way through. That is hard work too. That is hard work too. It is hard work. I have enough trouble keeping my own garden weeded, let alone... 3ha of onions. That's nice to see. That ladybird will be eating some thrips. If this was a conventional onion field, you wouldn't see that here. If this was a conventional onion field, you wouldn't see that here. No, perhaps not. Some of the insecticides would definitely remove the good bugs and the bad bugs. We work on the theory that there are more good things in life than bad things, and we encourage these predatory insects. If you're connected to the land and soil, you wanna look all that time at what's going on. You're more aware of things. We're seeing ladybirds in here, lacewings landing on our arms at the moment. It's great biodiversity. Living in harmony with nature. They're actually, in many ways, free employees. Yes. (CHUCKLES) Yes. (CHUCKLES) If only we could get them to weed. Yes. (CHUCKLES) If only we could get them to weed. (CHUCKLES) Scott's favourite crop ` the blueberry. We're sowing clover round the base of these now to give us an understorey management to stop the weeds but also fix nitrogen for us. And you got all that clover ` a wonderful wonderland for bees. Every time a bee visits a blueberry, it pollinates more seeds, and more seeds equals more size, equals more money for the grower. We need to encourage bees. Busy bloody things, bees, aren't they? Always working. No day off for a bee. Uh, no. I imagine when people go to a supermarket and buy blueberries, they would have no idea they've been so delicately handled by people taking them off the bush. they've been so delicately handled by people taking them off the bush. One berry at a time. Our main markets are very discerning, very educated, and they don't want GE, and that's just really the market driver, so... Pure Hawke's Bay is a group of people who are keen to push for a GE-free position in Hawke's Bay. What's the rationale behind that? What's the rationale behind that? Hawke's Bay's a very important food-producing region for NZ. Our markets are demanding GE-free produce. We're not anti-science. We need science. All of us need it. It's what drives us and our technology. We need the scientists just to work in a different area to help us. You know, there's so much work that can be done ` traditional plant breeding, etc. Biotechnology is a huge field, and that can really be beneficial to NZ's farmers. My philosophy is let's work with nature. If we try and outsmart nature, nature will always come round and kick us in the butt. I love science. I think it's absolutely astounding, and clearly, the future lies with this wonderful synthesis of science and nature. After all, nature's been around a lot longer than we have, and there's every possibility that nature will be around long after we've gone. And so out there somewhere, nature has many of the answers, and all we need to do with science, in many ways, is figure out what the questions are. Good on ya, nature. One day we'll understand ya. One day. RELAXED COUNTRY MUSIC Captions by Ashlee Scholefield. Edited by Glenna Casalme. www.able.co.nz Join me next week when I look at what we do to and with our land ` from those protecting the Navajo reservations to the Kiwi winemaker raking up international awards for putting back more than he takes out. Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2015