New Zealand's investment in science, research and development, at present about 1.2% of GDP, should be more than doubled, Federated Farmers believes.
In a speech to the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science in Wellington recently, Federated Farmers national vice-president Dr William Rolleston said New Zealand had one of the lowest investments, about half the OECD average of 2.3%.
Federated Farmers believed New Zealand needed to aim for 3% of GDP - and fast, Dr Rolleston, a South Canterbury farmer and biotechnologist, said.
Funding of that magnitude enabled more expansive research, not just retaining the country's top scientists but attracting the world's best here.
"This creates a research cluster that attracts not just start-ups, but established companies being where the innovation and resources are.
"But just spending more on R and D would be wasted if we don't get the implementation right," he said.
Federated Farmers welcomed the recent change in direction towards a "more collaborative approach" to science.
The February merger of the Ministry for Research, Science and Technology and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology to form the new Ministry of Science and Innovation, the centres of research excellence, research platforms, the Crown Research Institutes reforms and the Primary Growth Partnership were all positive moves to create a science and innovation ecosystem.
"This enables more strategic deployment and co-ordination of our scant research resources," Dr Rolleston said.
However, there was still a space for competitive science funding to stimulate new ideas, he said.