CREATE CLEAN
MIRAKA PAVES THE WAY FOR
A GREENER DAIRY SECTOR
Central North Island dairy company
Miraka’s trail-blazing approach
to sustainable dairying has been
making waves within New Zealand’s
agriculture sector. The Māori-owned
company takes a long-term view,
incorporating sustainable land
management, animal welfare and
employee wellbeing in business
decisions.
“For us it’s about producing
world-class dairy products while
living our values and building
future resilience,” says Murray
Hemi, Miraka’s Kaitiaki and
general manager of environmental
leadership. “New Zealand has made
a global commitment to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, and
the primary sector has a significant
role to play in this commitment. Our
goal is to have the lowest carbon
footprint of any dairy processor in
New Zealand.”
There has been a real change in
the farming community recently
according to dairy farmer Tracey
Simpson, who supplies milk to
Miraka. “We know that strong
environmental practices are good
for the land, and they also make
financial sense,” she says.
Although Miraka’s focus on
sustainable farming practices is
showing results, the company
knows there is still a lot more to be
done. “We support our farmers with
farm-specific emissions reports and
detailed environmental management
plans, but there is a real need for
new technology to help reduce
on-farm emissions,” says Grant
Jackson, Miraka’s general manager
of milk supply.
“We’re focusing on improving farmer
Murray Hemi
42 NOVEMBER 2019