Simon Upton urges cross-party consensus on New Zealand environmental goals
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton is calling for cross-party consensus on the country's overarching environmental goals.
The Hound had a bit of a giggle when he saw a recent US study that reveals a diet heavy in some fruit and vegetables does the planet more harm than eating meat.
The study, published in the Environment Systems and Decisions journal, flies in the face of recent calls for humans to reduce meat consumption in a bid to help stem climate change. So just when we are told by tree huggers that eating truckloads of vegetables is the best way to help the environment, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have found lettuce was "over three times worse in greenhouse gas emissions than eating bacon". The research group studied the impact per calorie of different foods against energy costs, water usage and emissions.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.
Rural retailer Farmlands has reported a return to profitability, something the co-operative says shows clear progress in the second year of its five-year strategy.
According to a new report, the Safer Rides initiative, which offered farmers heavily discounted crush protection devices (CPDs) for quad bikes, has made a significant impact in raising awareness and action around farm vehicle safety.
OPINION: In the past weeks, much has been said and written about one of New Zealand's greatest prime ministers, James Brendan Bolger, who died just a few months after his 90th birthday.