CREATING CLEAN: GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES PROGRAMME OF CHANGE
Prime Minister Jacinda Adern
has launched a plan which will
mean that by 2025 New Zealand
will be the first country in the world
to have a pricing mechanism for
agricultural emissions.
It is understood that the target will
be fore the agricultural sector to be
able to measure its own emissions.
For many, it resembles an Emissions
Trading Scheme (ETS)
"Ultimately our goal has to be to
maintain the position as exporters
to the world, of being sustainable
food producers,” she was reported
as saying.
"My hope is we'll have processors
like Fonterra continue to step up,
they've already said they're going
to pay for every farm to have a farm
environment plan."
So, Engineering News went to the
industry… here’s what they had to
say…
By Carolyn Mortland, director of sustainability at Fonterra
Whether its tackling climate
change, cleaning up our
waterways or reducing the
use of plastic packaging,
the New Zealand dairy industry,
and food producers in general,
are grappling with some huge
challenges around sustainability.
Globally, food production systems
are facing a transformational
challenge. New Zealand dairy
farmers feed around 40 million
people globally today. But as the
world grows, food producers
around the world will need to find
new ways to feed 10 billion people
by 2050. And we need to meet
these demands while protecting
and restoring the environment.
This is being driven by consumers
becoming increasingly discerning
when it comes to the products they
buy and the food they eat.
Recent market research has found
that 75% of millennials – those aged
20-35 – are altering their buying
habits with the environment in mind
and 34% of baby boomers are
willing to change what they buy if it
means purchasing more sustainable
products.
SPECIAL FEATURE:
WORKING TOWARDS A
SUSTAINABLE DAIRY INDUSTRY
These present unique challenges
for New Zealand food producers
and Fonterra is no different.
There’s no easy or quick fix.
As a Co-operative, we’re deeply
invested in New Zealand’s success
and take a long-term view. We’re a
business built from farms passed
down from one generation to the
next, and that means ensuring
the land and natural bounty of
our country are preserved for
generations to come.
Agriculture depends upon a stable
global climate and is particularly
impacted by environmental effects.
Our farmers are close to the land
and will feel climate change hard.
That’s why we’ve put sustainability
at the heart of our Co-op’s new
strategy.
This means doing what’s right and
doing what’s expected of us for the
long-term.
It means producing dairy nutrition in
a way that cares for people, animals
and the land, and brings value to our
communities.
This is not only the right thing to
do but has become increasingly
important as more consumers
choose environmentally-friendly
products.
As a country, New Zealand has got a
head start.
We are already one of the best
and most sustainable places in the
world to produce milk. Our farmers
can make a litre of milk for 60%
fewer emissions than the global
average.
We are known world over for
producing some of the best food
in the world, and balancing this
production with our green, clean
reputation.
We’ve got innovative people
working to reduce our
environmental impacts, from cutting
water use through to researching
world-leading science to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
But no one can do this alone.
Tackling complex issues like climate
change, improving biodiversity and
freshwater, and addressing plastic
waste will take a collective effort
by government, local and regional
councils, the business community,
Carolyn Mortland
scientists, iwi, community groups
and consumers. But by working
together and focusing on ambitious
common goals, the power of
collaboration can find solutions.
With New Zealand’s natural
environment and some of the
world’s most efficient farmers, we’re
well positioned to lead change.
We must find ways to achieve
food and agriculture sustainability
for New Zealand and our export
markets.
Fonterra doesn’t pretend to have all
the answers and we’ve got a long
way to go on our own sustainability
journey but believe we can make
positive change.
We’ve committed to doing our bit.
Now the mahi begins.
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