Reducing agriculturally derived diffuse contaminant losses (via non-point sources) from land to water has proven difficult for decades. Owing to the diversity and complexity of factors controlling contaminant loss rates and pathways, regulation must be flexible and reflect farm- and region-specific variation. Environmental farm planning schemes are recognised globally as offering a tailored, farm-specific implementation tool that can assess, balance and deliver multiple environmental objectives, while empowering farmer behaviour change and development of social relationships. Nevertheless, uptake and success have been mixed internationally owing to their predominantly voluntary nature. We consider the implementation of freshwater farm plans at a national-scale and on a mandatory basis to deliver water quality reform. In a world-first approach this has recently been legislated for in New Zealand, but the implementation process is still currently being developed and finalised. We advocate that on-farm mitigation actions in freshwater farm plans should be quantitative, risk-based, and focussed on the most significant catchment water quality priorities, and their cost-effectiveness. We propose that minimum national standards and metrics are a prerequisite to ensuring auditable and time-bound outcomes, as is building the capacity, capability, and community practice required to deliver and audit them. National-scale coverage presents an opportunity to record and measure how good practice can improve water quality, but should be part of wider integrated farm planning that incorporates other elements of the farm business to add value and minimise compliance costs.

几十年来，减少从土地到水的农业来源的扩散性污染物损失（通过非点源）已被证明是困难的。由于控制污染物流失率和途径的因素的多样性和复杂性，监管必须灵活并反映农场和地区特定的变化。环保农场计划计划是全球公认的，它提供了量身定制的，针对农场的实施工具，可以评估，平衡和交付多个环境目标，同时增强农民的行为改变和社会关系的发展。然而，由于其主要是自愿性质，在国际上吸收和成功是混杂的。我们考虑在全国范围内强制执行淡水农场计划，以进行水质改革。最近，在新西兰已经立法采用了世界第一的方法，但是目前仍在制定和完成实施过程。我们提倡淡水农场计划中的农场缓解行动应基于风险进行定量，以风险为重点，并着重于最重要的流域水质优先事项及其成本效益。我们建议，最低的国家标准和度量标准是确保可审核和有时限的结果的前提，同时还要建立交付和审核所需的能力，能力和社区实践。全国范围的覆盖范围提供了记录和衡量良好实践如何改善水质的机会，但是应该成为更广泛的综合农场计划的一部分，该计划应结合农场业务的其他要素以增加价值并最小化合规成本。