Rewarding farmers who embrace sustainability
Winners of DairyNZ’s Sustainability and Stewardship awards in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards have their eyes firmly fixed on progressing a positive future for New Zealand dairy.
DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle supports the new Interim Climate Change Committee, however he is concerned that it has no member with actual farm knowledge.
“This understanding and experience is vital in order to understand how different mitigations impact on the farm system,” Mackle says.
The six-member committee will he headed by Dr David Prentice, most recently chief executive of the infrastructure firm Opus International Consultants.
The deputy chair is Lisa Tumahai, who is experienced in governance and is a director of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.
Other committee members are Dr Harry Clark, a New Zealand expert on agricultural greenhouse gas research; Dr Keith Turner, former chief executive of Meridian and a professional director; Dr Jan Wright, former parliamentary commissioner for the environment; and Dr Suzi Kerr, known internationally for her expertise in the economics of climate change policy and emissions trading.
Mackle says the members’ expertise will move NZ’s economy towards a low emission future.
The interim committee will consider agriculture’s role in meeting NZ’s greenhouse reduction targets and whether agricultural methane and nitrous oxide emissions should face a price in the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme.
“DairyNZ [will help] our levy payers do their part to address on farm emissions,” says Mackle. “The dairy industry must do its part alongside the wider economy to reduce and offset NZ’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
Climate Change Minister James Shaw referred to the members’ expertise in areas related to climate change: agriculture, agribusiness, climate change science and policy, resource economics and impacts, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te reo me ona tikanga Māori and Māori interests, international competitiveness, and energy production and supply.
“We need work to start now on how agriculture might enter into the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZETS), and we need planning now for the transition to 100% renewable electricity generation by 2035,” says Shaw.
An independent climate change commission will be set up under the Zero Carbon Act in May next year.
OPINION: The recent Federated Farmers / Rabobank 2024 Farming Salaries Report revealed strong growth in farm salaries over the past two years.
The low unemployment environment is one of the key factors driving on-farm salaries higher over the past 24 months, says Rabobank general manager for country banking Bruce Weir.
Fonterra has appointed a new chief financial officer, seven months after its last CFO’s shock resignation.
A seminar on rural dispute resolution has been organised at Lincoln University, Christchurch this month.
The legacy of Dr Peter Snow continues to inspire as the recipients of the 2023 and 2024 Peter Snow Memorial Awards were announced at the recent National Rural Health Conference.
One of Fonterra’s global customers, Mars is launching an ambitious sustainable dairy plan to work with dairy farmers and cut emissions by 50%.