increase font size
Mike Montgomerie
Sustainability is not a fad and won't go away, says retiring Fonterra Co-operative Council member Mike Montgomerie.
He says sustainability will be an enduring feature of farming.
He says Fonterra is moving in the right direction when it comes to improving its environmental footprint right across its business.
Montgomerie believes farmers are also doing their fair share but admits that methane emissions are a hard nut to crack.
He hopes that some technological solutions will come to farmers' aid so that they can have a commercially viable, cost-effective way of reducing emissions.
"It will be brilliant for dairy farming. I understand there's no silver bullet but once our emissions start heading in the right direction, it will provide a lot of comfort for NZ farming families, Fonterra and the banks."
He believes sustainability is crucial to maintain Fonterra's international markets.
"The sustainability piece is most important because of the rise in alternative proteins. If you don't crack the methane emissions issues and you are up against alternatives who don't have the same problems, it is going to be trouble for us."
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
The waste-free Ripe Wanaka Wine and Food Festival won Sustainability Event of the Year at the New Zealand Events Association Awards this year, while Festival Director Nathan White was named Emerging Event Professional of the Year.
OPINION: Farmer shareholders of two of New Zealand's largest co-operatives have an important decision to make this month and what they decide could change the landscape of the dairy and meat sectors in New Zealand.
OPINION: As CEO of the Dairy Board in the 1980s I was fortunate to work with a team of experienced and capable executives who made most of the brand investments that created the international consumer business Fonterra inherited. Soprole in Chile was the largest, but there were more than 20 countries where consumer marketing companies were established and Anchor and other brands were successfully launched.
Fonterra has delivered a fifth straight year of record organic milk price for farmer suppliers.
Like many manufacturers around the world, European agricultural machinery and tractor manufacturers are currently operating in a difficult market environment. But they are heading to the world’s largest agricultural machinery event in Hanover next month with a degree of cautious optimism.
Established in 2021, the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards champion the important contribution parts and service technicians make to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture, construction and forestry industries.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.
New Zealand is closer to eradicating bovine TB than ever before, but possums remain a threat, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
The ACT Party says media reports that global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance shows why New Zealand needs to rethink its approach to climate.
OPINION: Dairy industry players are also falling by the wayside as the economic downturn bites around the country.
OPINION: Methane Science Accord, a farmer-led organisation advocating for zero tax on ruminant methane, will be quietly celebrating its first…
