New Zealand: Agriculture
Women want out of the barn and into the boardroom
19 Apr 2013
The dairy industry is looking to girl-power to combat problems like climate change and the global recession.
Fracking waste danger to food, say Greens
12 Apr 2013
New Zealand risks damaging its international reputation as an exporter of quality food by disposing of oil industry wastes on to farmland, the Green Party says.
Science claims victory in beetle battle
28 Mar 2013
Success in tackling a destructive beetle on the West Coast has underlined the importance of having integrated pest management plans on farms, scientists say.
Critics uneasy with Fonterra-DOC deal
8 Mar 2013
Fonterra has signed the country's biggest corporate conservation deal in what Conservation Minister Nick Smith says is a sign of the success of the Government's blue-green agenda.
Voluntary deals don't work, say Greens
22 Feb 2013
Voluntary accords like the new Sustainable Dairying: Water Accord are no substitute for effective rules and standards, the Green Party says.
Gas research centre gets more funding
8 Feb 2013
The Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium has secured funding from the agriculture sector and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to continue research to find tools for mitigating greenhouse gases.
Southern lignite stupid idea, says farmer
25 Jan 2013
The idea of digging up fertile farmland for lignite coal is “100% stupidity,” a visiting Australian farmer says.
Bio crop could put money in the margins
18 Jan 2013
A team of New Zealand researchers say that biofuels can be produced sustainably and economically from crops grown on the margins of paddocks.
Research scientists eye funding for funds
18 Jan 2013
Scientists involved in research to reduce biological carbon emissions are being offered funding to help them to apply for funding.
Early seasons spring plant surprises
18 Jan 2013
Spring is springing earlier in the United States – and climate change is being blamed.
Agriculture: It's not all bad news
7 Dec 2012
Agriculture can be good news for the climate, a new report says.
Environment watchdog questions fracking
30 Nov 2012
Environmental issues associated with fracking can be managed, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says.
Winemaker walks off with world award
23 Nov 2012
New Zealand’s Yealands Estate has been named the leading Sustainable Medium Business in the world in the International Green Awards.
Cheap price to pay, says Labour
26 Oct 2012
Bringing farmers into the Emissions Trading Scheme would cost them less than $100 a year each on current prices, Labour says.
Care of our oceans lacking, say experts
26 Oct 2012
The Environmental Defence Society is calling for an overhaul of New Zealand’s marine protection provisions in the wake of a new report which is says shows serious deficiencies in the present system.
Philippines wins NZ geothermal help
26 Oct 2012
New Zealand’s GNS Science will help the Philippines to develop its geothermal energy generation.
Speak up for our seabirds
26 Oct 2012
The Ministry for Primary Industries and the Department of Conservation are seeking feedback on the draft of a new National Plan of Action to reduce the incidental catch of seabirds in New Zealand fisheries.
Farmers want action on water quality
19 Oct 2012
Farmers are calling for greater action on bacterial contamination of the nation’s rivers.
OPINION: There's no free lunch with water
19 Oct 2012
Federated Farmers chief executive CONOR ENGLISH explains why the decisions being made now about water are so important:
Scientists out to develop better seeds
5 Oct 2012
A new research programme aims to deliver better seeds and plant species for farmers, to help to improve animal productivity and minimise environmental impacts.
Farmers see plan as a step too far
28 Sep 2012
Federated Farmers is appealing against the ground-breaking Environment Court decision allowing the Horizons Regional Council’s OnePlan to go ahead.
Fund backs war on wilding pines
21 Sep 2012
Projects to control wilding pines in Southland and Canterbury are among the recipients of the latest Community Environment Fund round.
Ross Sea plan embarrassing, say Greens
14 Sep 2012
The Government's proposal for a protected area in the Ross Sea focuses on protecting the fishing industry, not the environment, the Green Party says.
Bold farm plan: Let's trade in effluent
7 Sep 2012
Fancy trading in nitrogen discharges? The Environment Court says it’s a good idea.
Discharge rules inevitable, says farmer
7 Sep 2012
Limits on nutrient discharge from farms are inevitable – and the sooner farmers accept it the better, says outspoken Tararua farmer Andrew Day.
Coconut compound does the trick
31 Aug 2012
A New Zealand scientist has come up with a product that he hopes will allow farmers to earn carbon credits while cutting greenhouse gas emissions and boosting production.
Transpower wins energy award
24 Aug 2012
A Transpower-led alliance to upgrade the North Island electricity grid has taken the environmental excellence title at this year’s Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards.
NZ farmers impress soil scientist
17 Aug 2012
The soil management and measuring practices of New Zealand’s pastoral carbon farmers have impressed an eminent soil scientist.
We must value water, say irrigators
17 Aug 2012
Instead of knocking the productive use of water for activities such as irrigation, it’s time all New Zealanders accepted and celebrated how water adds value, the irrigation industry says.
Don't stand back, environment adviser tells NZ
3 Aug 2012
Feeding the world and saving it at the same time is possible – but New Zealand might leave it too late.
Ministry offers $8m sustainability boost
3 Aug 2012
Farmers, foresters and fishers are being offered millions of dollars for projects that will improve the environment, society and the economy.
Sustainability must on menu, says report
27 Jul 2012
Sustainability should be at the heart of New Zealand’s food industry, says a new report.
Sheep emissions loophole to close
27 Jul 2012
A loophole that allocates all greenhouse gas emissions from sheep to the meat sector and none to wool is about to be closed.
Fisheries report gives NZ a nod
13 Jul 2012
The latest United Nations report on the state of the world’s fisheries released this week acknowledges New Zealand’s sustainable approach to fisheries management, the Seafood Industry Council says.
Bio-farming pays the bills, says study
6 Jul 2012
Biological farming systems use significantly fewer agrichemicals, are more energy-efficient, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil qualities without reducing output and financial benefits than conventional farming, new research shows.
Court fines sharemilker $25,000
15 Jun 2012
A sharemilker in Flemington, near Ashburton, has pleaded guilty to two charges of discharging effluent into waterways during April and May last year.
Science out to solve carbon mystery
25 May 2012
On a Waharoa dairy farm two special machines aren’t missing a trick.
Tool measures hort gas emissions
25 May 2012
Horticulturalists have a new tool for measuring their greenhouse gas emissions.
View of oceans must change, says expert
27 Apr 2012
New Zealand needs to change the way in which it manages competing economic, environmental and conservation demands on the oceans, an American marine policy expert says.
It's good to be GE-free, says council
13 Apr 2012
New Zealand’s GE-free status is worth money, the Sustainability Council says.
Agriculture might get 2018 reprieve
11 Apr 2012
Agriculture might be out of the Emissions Trading Scheme until 2018.
Don't be a chimp this Easter, says zoo
5 Apr 2012
Auckland Zoo has entered the palm oil debate, urging New Zealanders not to buy Easter eggs made with chocolate.
Agriculture key to ETS credibility
30 Mar 2012
New Zealand could play a strong role in developing an international carbon market – but it needs to bring agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme, says an American geographer.
Protect fresh water sources, says report
23 Mar 2012
Freshwater quality is one of the biggest environmental problems facing New Zealand, says the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Gas technology lines Aussie pockets
2 Mar 2012
Australian farmers are about to earn carbon credits on the back of New Zealand research.
Converting farmers like low carbon
24 Feb 2012
Low carbon prices are proving a boon for farmers wanting to convert forest land to farmland.
Why sludge is starting to look sexy
17 Feb 2012
Power generation from wastewater treatment sludge is to reach 3845 gigawatt hours by 2020 due to increasing industrialisation and the overexploitation of natural resources.
Lignite could fight cadmium, says study
10 Feb 2012
Low-grade lignite could be used to deal with dangerous cadmium contamination of New Zealand’s soils, scientists say.
Stand by ... the weather will get worse
10 Feb 2012
El Niño and La Niña weather patterns will become even more dominant in New Zealand with climate change, according to research from the University of Auckland published in Nature Climate Change.
$500m boost if farm emissions cut
27 Jan 2012
Halving agricultural greenhouse gas emissions could give a $500 million-a-year boost to the economy.
Local govt bill 'completely misses the point,' passes first reading
Fri 18 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s bill making changes to the Local Government Act to "refocus" councils on their core functions passed its first reading in Parliament last night, with critics saying it will set back climate resilience.
Importing LNG is feasible, but is it plausible?
Fri 18 Jul 2025
Importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a form of energy supply insurance is technically feasible, but an industry-commissioned report raises questions about whether it is financially plausible.
Mangroves' overlooked climate role
30 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand’s mangrove forests are pulling tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere each year, yet their climate benefits remain unrecognised in national emissions reporting.
How flying can be a climate solution
16 Jun 2025
By Paul Callister and Robert McLachlan - Planetary Ecology | How can aviation contribute to tackling climate change when no practicable technology-based solutions are on the horizon?
Foresters seek time; end to using ETS as a land use tool
Wed 16 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Production and carbon forestry owners have begged the environment select committee to at least give the sector more time to come up with workable rules for legislation intended to cap forest planting on farmland.
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
8 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | NZ Post has dropped its science-based emissions reduction target of 42% by 2030 with no plans to replace it.
