Jacqueline Rowarth
{{short description|New Zealand academic and science communicator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Jacqueline Rowarth
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|CNZM|size=100%}}
| image = Jacqueline Rowarth CNZM (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Rowarth in 2008
| birth_name = Jacqueline Sara Rowarth
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1956}}
| birth_place = St Albans, Hertfordshire, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = {{Hlist|Agronomist|dairy farmer}}
| alma_mater = Massey University
| thesis_year = 1987
| thesis_title = Phosphate cycling in grazed hill-country pasture
| thesis_url = https://hdl.handle.net/10179/3640
| workplaces = {{ubl|AgResearch|Lincoln University|Unitec|University of Melbourne|Massey University|University of Waikato}}
}}
Jacqueline Sara Rowarth {{post-nominals|country=NZL|CNZM|size=85%}} (born 1956) is a New Zealand agronomist, dairy farmer and science administrator.{{cite web |url= http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/124977/Prof-J.-Rowarth.pdf|title=C.V. |website=sci.waikato.ac.nz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304071638/http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/124977/Prof-J.-Rowarth.pdf |access-date=2020-01-08|archive-date=4 March 2023 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.dairynz.co.nz/news/farmers-elect-representative-to-dairynz-board/|title = Farmers elect representative to DairyNZ board}}[https://www.spreaker.com/user/nzme/jacqueline-rowarth-dairy-nz-farmer-elect_1 "Jacqueline Rowarth: Dairy NZ farmer-elected director says farmers are doing their best to reduce emissions"]. spreaker.com. Retrieved 14 February 2023.[https://www.dairynz.co.nz/about-us/how-we-operate/board-of-directors/jacqueline-rowarth/ "Jacqueline Rowarth - farmer elected director"]. dairynz.co.nz. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
Career
Rowarth was born at St Albans, Hertfordshire, England.{{Cite web|date=2024|title=Rowarth, Jacqueline Sara, 1956|url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22505970|website=National Library of New Zealand|language=en-GB|archive-date=October 2, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241002161047/https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22505970|url-status=live}} She moved to New Zealand in 1976 and has an agricultural science degree with first-class honours in environmental agriculture, and obtained a PhD in soil science from Massey University, with a 1987 thesis titled Phosphate cycling in grazed hill-country pasture.{{cite thesis |last=Rowarth |first=Jacqueline |year=1987 |type=Doctoral thesis |title=Phosphate cycling in grazed hill-country pasture |publisher=Massey Research Online, Massey University |hdl=10179/3640}} She worked at AgResearch for six years before teaching plant science at Lincoln University.{{Cite web|url=https://lincoln.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/5598/|title=30 November 1999 Leading Woman Scientist Among Lincoln Excellence Award Winners}} From 2000 to 2004, she was dean of the postgraduate division and director of research at Unitec Institute of Technology. She was briefly associate professor at the University of Melbourne, from 2005 to 2006. She returned to New Zealand as a professor, teaching at Massey and the University of Waikato.{{Cite web|url=https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=4635C3FF-96BF-57FE-A887-ECB5634F232E|title = Queen's Birthday Honours recognise services to agriculture, disability and biotechnology - Massey University}}
In October 2016, Rowarth left Waikato to become the first chief scientist of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/83009506/Jacqueline-Rowarth-appointed-as-EPAs-chief-scientist |title=Jacqueline Rowarth appointed as EPA's chief scientist |work=Stuff |date=2016-08-10 |access-date=2018-03-22}}{{cite web|url=https://www.epa.govt.nz/news-and-alerts/latest-news/the-epa-chief-scientist/ |title=The EPA chief scientist |publisher=EPA |date= |accessdate=2018-03-22}} In 2018, she resigned from her role at the EPA; it was later revealed that the EPA was warned Rowarth's behaviour was damaging trust in the organisation, apparently due to comments to the media about environmentalist concerns that she deemed unwarranted.{{cite news |url=https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/352995/epa-warned-about-scientist-s-behaviour |title=EPA warned about scientist's behaviour |work=RNZ News |date=21 March 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/52SCEN_EVI_77895_509/e155ddc38c8af88ebefe333005060224b0bc49a1|title=Official letter |date=2018|website=www.parliament.nz |format=PDF|access-date=2020-01-08}} According to Rowarth, she was often misquoted.{{Cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/102539239/scientist-jacqueline-rowarth-says-she-left-epa-of-own-accord |title=Scientist Jacqueline Rowarth says she left EPA of own accord |work=Stuff |date=23 March 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.noted.co.nz/currently/currently-profiles/jacqueline-rowarth-was-former-epa-chief-scientist-muzzled|title=Was former EPA chief scientist Jacqueline Rowarth muzzled?|website=www.noted.co.nz}}{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Rowarth became a farmer-elected representative on the board of DairyNZ. In 2024, she is a director, and also adjunct professor at Lincoln University.
Views
Rowarth has strongly criticised veganism. She has argued that a vegan diet will not save the planet from climate change and has also argued that an omnivorous diet including a moderate amount of dairy products and meat delivers the required nutrients per person for least environmental impact.{{Cite web|date=2021|title=Dr Jacqueline Rowarth: Why veganism won't save the world|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/dr-jacqueline-rowarth-why-veganism-wont-save-the-world/3V7ADNXGUSEY6O4CUP2HBOZ3EU/|website=The Country|language=en-GB|archive-date=April 18, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418033316/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/dr-jacqueline-rowarth-why-veganism-wont-save-the-world/3V7ADNXGUSEY6O4CUP2HBOZ3EU/|url-status=live}}
Rowarth has also criticised regenerative agriculture based on the restoration of soil fertility through techniques like water retention and composting, and supports the intensification of agricultural practices with higher levels of inputs and output per unit area.{{cite journal |first1=Jacqueline S. |last1=Rowarth |first2=Ants H.C. |last2=Roberts |first3=Warren |last3=King |first4=Michael J. |last4=Manning |year=2020 |title=New-generative agriculture – based on science, informed by research and honed by New Zealand farmers |journal=Journal of New Zealand Grasslands |volume=82 |pages=221–229 |url=https://www.nzgajournal.org.nz/index.php/JoNZG/article/download/430/3084/5390}}
Honours and awards
In the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours, Rowarth was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to agricultural science.{{cite web |url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2008 |title=Queen's Birthday honours list 2008 |date=2 June 2008 |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |accessdate=1 February 2020}} In 2024, she was awarded the Jubilee Medal by the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science, for "her contribution to primary resource science as a leader in research, education, technology transfer and communication".{{Cite news |last=Scott |first=Annette |date=2024-10-24 |title=Ag science honours three industry leaders |url=https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/people/ag-science-honours-three-industry-leaders/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |work=Farmers Weekly}}
Selected publications
- {{cite thesis |last=Rowarth |first= Jacqueline |author-link= |date=1987 |title=Phosphate cycling in grazed hill-country pasture |url=https://mro.massey.ac.nz/items/1a91ba4e-3d21-45d6-b5a5-c3b0b536ae9f |publisher=Massey University}}
- {{cite journal|author=Rowarth, Jacqueline; Cookson, W. R; Cornforth, I. S.|year=2002|title=Winter soil temperature (2–15 °C) effects on nitrogen transformations in clover green manure amended or unamended soils; a laboratory and field study|journal=Soil Biology and Biochemistry|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0038071702000834|volume=34|issue=10|pages=1401–1415|doi=10.1016/S0038-0717(02)00083-4|url-access=subscription}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowarth, Jacqueline Sara}}
Category:Academic staff of Lincoln University (New Zealand)
Category:Academic staff of Massey University
Category:Academic staff of the University of Waikato
Category:Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Category:Companions of the Royal Society of New Zealand
Category:Massey University alumni
Category:New Zealand soil scientists
Category:New Zealand women academics
Category:People from St Albans