Wednesday, 28 October 2015 10:03

Giving credit where it’s due - Editorial

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
The new MfE chief executive, Vicky Robertson. The new MfE chief executive, Vicky Robertson.

It's almost too good to be true. A report on the state of the New Zealand environment that is honest, factual and not littered with references to the damage farmers alone are doing to land and water.

The Ministry for the Environment and the Department of Statistics have issued a 130 page report that states the bad and obvious – such as the effects of intensive farming and in particular what problems dairy is causing to water quality and soil condition. It does not shy away from noting the problems nitrogen is causing to waterways or that intensive agriculture is causing by compacting soils. And it also notes the tremendous efforts of farmers to do their best for the environment.

The new MfE chief executive, Vicky Robertson, is a breath of fresh air in the environment sphere. She is full of praise for what the farming community is doing to improve water and soil quality and is positive in her encouragement to get all farmers to do what most are already doing in environmental improvements to their farms. She also makes the point, quite correctly, that not all the problems in our waterways result from poor farming practices. It's a report that the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) should take time out to read and so get a sense of the word 'perspective'.

One interesting insight relates to the data used to compile the report: in short, the data leaves much to be desired. The extent and quality of available environmental data are limited, requiring that Stats and MfE get busy with information providers to ensure better quality data in future. In particular the report notes a bias towards scrutinising places known to suffer poor environmental health, thus at times leading to an inaccurately negative picture of the state of the NZ environment. There's music to the ears of farmers and a kick in the pants for the grizzling anti-dairy lobby flourishing on a diet of selective misinformation.

Having MfE and the Department of Statistics responsible for such a report is brilliant. It leaves out the PCE who is an advocate for the environment.

The report is well produced, easy to read and comes with an excellent poster which explains everything well on one page.

This report is not saying farmers have got it right yet, and it points to areas where improvement is required. But unlike most previous reports on the state of the environment, this one openly gives credit to farmers for the efforts they are making.

More like this

Ripe Wanaka named NZ’s top sustainable event

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.

Featured

'One more push' to eliminate FE

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.

Winston Peters questions Fonterra divestment plan

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.

National

Machinery & Products

New McHale terra drive axle option

Well-known for its Fusion baler wrapper combination, Irish manufacturer McHale has launched an interesting option at the recent Irish Ploughing…

Amazone unveils flagship spreader

With the price of fertiliser still significantly higher than 2024, there is an increased onus on ensuring its spread accurately at…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Tough times

OPINION: Dairy industry players are also falling by the wayside as the economic downturn bites around the country.

MSA triumph

OPINION: Methane Science Accord, a farmer-led organisation advocating for zero tax on ruminant methane, will be quietly celebrating its first…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter