New Zealand: Agriculture
Biochar pioneer recruits top Australian scientist
17 Feb 2009
Blenheim-based charcoal technology company Carbonscape has scored a coup by recruiting highly respected climate change campaigner Professor Tim Flannery on to its board of directors.
NZ could take lead on climate-saving biochar, says scientist
13 Feb 2009
New Zealand could be the first country in the world to set up a large-scale biochar plant – considered one of the few technologies that could substantially reduce atmospheric carbon, say British soil science experts.
Kyoto soil carbon rules don't fit NZ, says official
3 Feb 2009
New Zealand would have to be able to use a base year other than 1990 if the country was to start accounting for soil carbon, says a senior government official.
JATROPHA: Everyone should plant it, says grower
30 Jan 2009
All New Zealand farmers should have four to five hectares planted in jatropha as a way of protecting themselves against the impacts of peak oil, says an Auckland landowner.
Dairy farmers place orders for local biogas system
27 Jan 2009
The first commercial orders have been placed for the Landcorp-backed BioGenCool biogas energy system for dairy farms.
It's all win-win for no-till farmers, says scientist
20 Jan 2009
New Zealand farmers could be collecting carbon credits, cutting crop production costs and boosting yield all at the same time, says a New Zealand scientist.
Farming attitude change could slash NZ emissions
16 Jan 2009
New Zealand could cut its greenhouse gas emissions by two million tonnes a year by moving to no-tillage farming.
ETS review could damage farming, says Pedersen
2 Dec 2008
Former farming leader Charlie Pedersen, who championed the need for agriculture to be in the New Zealand emissions trading scheme even though he felt isolated and unsupported, is warning that the farming sector could be damaged by the review of the climate change and the ETS.
British bulldog snarls Kyoto message Downunder
2 Dec 2008
A strong coded message is being sent from No 10 Downing Street to government heads in New Zealand and Australia: do not deviate from your planned commitments to Kyoto.
We're risking our clean reputation, says organics chief
2 Dec 2008
New Zealand risks scoring a “spectacular own-goal” if it backs away from its proactive stance on climate change, a leading agricultural lobbyist says.
Key ETS agriculture decisions out this month
4 Nov 2008
Officials’ recommendations on how the emissions trading scheme should be applied to the agricultural sector – including the controversial point-of-obligation – will be released at the end of this month.
ETS will put us out of business, says horticulture chief
28 Oct 2008
The horticulture sector’s official body says that the ETS legislation was enacted in dangerous haste and will put many of its members out of business.
MAF’s master tool for farm emissions measurement in doubt
24 Oct 2008
The efficiency of a proprietary, home-grown software package that underpins much of the ETS and Kyoto governance calculations is increasingly being called into question.
Anderton vows to shelter farmers troubled by ETS
14 Oct 2008
Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton has vowed to do all he can to shelter farmers from any adverse effects of the emissions trading scheme.
Kiwi company claims world first for charcoal
30 Sep 2008
A world-first invention has been unveiled in Blenheim today with multi-billion dollar earning potential and the ability to impact on carbon capture on a global scale.
Entrepreneur finds use for dairy effluent
16 Sep 2008
Electricity industry entrepreneur Brian Tolley says that his BioGenCool system that turns dairy effluent into electricity and fertiliser is the only way to cope with New Zealand’s biggest agricultural pollutant.
Grab the opportunities, UK expert tells our farmers
16 Sep 2008
Significant opportunities will emerge for New Zealand and Australian agriculture to benefit from moves to address climate change, according to a leading international expert in the field.
Disappointed farmers vow to fight on ... but how?
12 Sep 2008
Federated Farmers will keep fighting the emissions trading scheme – but isn’t sure what move to take next.
Hemp (not the smoking kind) might be next wonder crop
12 Sep 2008
Former Green MP Nandor Tanczos could see his long campaign to have hemp made legal vindicated.
We've done the hard yards, say frustrated farmers
2 Sep 2008
A new non-binding emissions reduction target for agriculture shows there is little official understanding of hard work farmers have already done to reduce their emissions, says Federated Farmers.
Bamboo can be a lucrative friend, pioneer tells Kiwis
22 Aug 2008
Environmentally friendly bamboo could be a winning crop for New Zealand if people didn’t have such a negative view of it, says an industry pioneer.
Stop the plough and save the world, says prairie professor
5 Aug 2008
Farmers could cut their greenhouse-gas emissions by switching to zero-tillage, says a visiting expert.
Fertiliser companies' carbon move could cost consumers
22 Jul 2008
A push by fertiliser companies to sheet home carbon dioxide emission charges to the “end users” of the fertiliser has conjured up the possibility of a carbon levy or surcharge on consumer foodstuffs sold in supermarkets and elsewhere.
Local councils doing the best they can with water, says Neilson
22 Jul 2008
Regional councils are doing as good a job of water management as can be expected with the tools and framework available, says the chief executive of the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, Peter Neilson.
Australia gets ETS agriculture right, say New Zealand farmers
18 Jul 2008
New Zealand farmers say they are sympathetic to Australia’s desire for caution over bringing agriculture into an emissions trading scheme.
Carbon trader helps landowner win funding for gas emissions study
18 Jul 2008
Greenair, the international carbon-trading company, has been closely involved in a foundation’s successful bid for public funds to measure carbon dioxide emission levels in trees.
NZ farmers welcome Garnaut report’s cautionary note on agriculture
8 Jul 2008
New Zealand farmers have applauded the recommendation by the Garnaut report that agriculture should not be part of an Australia emissions trading scheme until there are improved measuring and monitoring systems in place.
Fonterra hits 15-per-cent energy reduction target
1 Jul 2008
Fonterra has achieved its second major energy efficiency milestone in five years, cutting the amount of energy used to manufacture its products by 15 percent since the 2002/03 season, it says.
Another major breakthrough: Cashew-nut oil might cut animal emissions
13 Jun 2008
There has been another advance in the battle to reduce methane-gas emissions from animals.
Cut out the conflict says (forgetful?) Fed Farmers
13 Jun 2008
Federated Farmers is appealing for more dialogue and less confrontation on environmental issues.
New animal id and tracing system launched
13 Jun 2008
A comprehensive animal identification and traceability system is essential for maintaining international credibility for our food exports, Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said yesterday.
Unique cross-sector roundtable forms to discuss sustainable agriculture
13 Jun 2008
Key participants in the Conflict in Paradise Conference, being held in Auckland yesterday, agreed to establish a unique roundtable group to work to find ways of making New Zealand agriculture more sustainable.
Fonterra refuses to rush into gas-reducing nitrogen inhibitors
12 Jun 2008
Fonterra says that it won't promote greenhouse-gas reducing nitrogen inhibitors on farms until they are internationally recognised.
Smart software solution to help farmers meet Kyoto obligations
12 Jun 2008
A software solution developed by MAF, AgResearch and FertResearch will enable farmers across the country to accurately estimate their greenhouse gas emissions.
Major breakthrough in NZ animal methane research
11 Jun 2008
New Zealand scientists celebrated a major break through last week on mapping the genetic sequence of a microbe, which produces methane from the rumen of cattle and sheep.
Food prices will remain high over next decade, UN report says
6 Jun 2008
In the next 10 years food prices will remain well above the levels of the last decade, according to a report issued by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Ferrier meets Taylor on the question on taxpayers subsidising high earning farmers
5 Jun 2008
Fonterra CEO Andrew Ferrier and Environmental Defence Society chair Gary Taylor came togather yesterday for a blunt question and answer on taxpayers subsidising dairy farmer emissions.
Maize silage makes the most of dairy effluent
5 Jun 2008
A project in the Waikato is developing options for dairy farmers concerned about nutrient management.
Farmers calculate carbon emissions online
4 Jun 2008
The Carbon Farming Group has launched an easy to use, online calculator which enables farmers to identify how the Emissions Trading Scheme may affect them and their business.
US farmers told they're in a sustainability race
4 Jun 2008
The sustainability message is being delivered through to US farmers.
Go carefully on soil carbon sequestration - officials
30 May 2008
Soil-storage of carbon mightn’t be the answer to farmers’ prayers for a solution to agricultural greenhouse-gas emissions, and New Zealand must use caution in any decision to move into soil credits, officials say.
New Zealand food imports still the greenest option for UK
30 May 2008
By Angela van de Weerdhof. - New Zealand food producers should fare well when the European Union rings in carbon labeling on all imports.
Brtish Gas wants NZ as green test bench
29 May 2008
Further evidence is emerging that Contact Energy is a prime target in the acquisition by British Gas of Australia’s Origin Energy, parent of Contact.
Farmers: It's not just us who need to adapt to predicted water shortages
29 May 2008
Federated Farmers spokesperson Frank Brenmuhl says the Ecoclimate report is an interesting and useful document but "the population needs to adapt, not just farmers."
New climate change report: Worse-ever droughts main NZ worry
28 May 2008
Fighting possible extreme droughts will be the main obstacle for farmers as a result of climate change in New Zealand but overall production is predicted to go up.
Canterbury prepares water plan to cope with temperatures up to 3.3deg higher
28 May 2008
Canterbury will have a regional water strategy in place within 18 months as part of its strategy for dealing with the expected impact of climate change.
Red tape consent process may still sink solar hot water incentive system
26 May 2008
By Angela van de Weerdhof .- A bureaucratic resource consent process may still stifle a new bid to have home owners take up grants for solar water heating.
Get soil recognised as carbon storer, say scientists
21 May 2008
Scientists working on quantifying the carbon-storage potential of New Zealand soils are urging officials to start work now on getting soil recognised in the next round of climate-change protocols.
Fed Farmers pushes to have soil carbon sequestration included in ETS
20 May 2008
Federated Farmers is calling for a greater push toward getting soil recognised as a legitimate method of storing greenhouse gases, saying that it would be a boon to farmers struggling to deal with emission from animals.
Worried farmers: We want to be part of the ETS
19 May 2008
Farmers want to do their bit and be part of the emissions trading scheme, says Federated Farmers president Charlie Pedersen.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
Could ‘orange’ hydrogen be NZ’s key to net-zero?
Fri 30 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand could be sitting on resources for a thriving multi-billion-dollar, low-carbon hydrogen economy, which might even be capable of creating a net reduction of carbon dioxide, according to scientists.
Carbon price too low to fund carbon capture
20 May 2025
The government’s climate target to 2030 is at risk, after revelations that a carbon capture project which the government was relying on to deliver one third of its carbon reductions, might not go ahead.
While govt ‘refreshes’ fund for low carbon trucks, are transport emissions set to accelerate?
Wed 28 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has announced it is updating the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund, however cuts to funds to decarbonise transport in last week’s budget, and potential changes to road user charges, could stall transport emissions reductions.
Council delays forestry plan as national rules remain unclear
21 May 2025
Tairāwhiti’s forestry reforms are facing fresh delays, with Gisborne District Council now tying its plan changes to national direction that remains uncertain.
Kiwi cleantech companies on the world stage
Tue 27 May 2025
Six New Zealand 'cleantech' companies were in Singapore earlier this month, along with a venture capital firm and the MacDiarmid Institute, to meet investors and multinational partners.
