New Zealand: Agriculture
Food growers fear loss of land to dairying
26 Jul 2019
The Government’s drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions could see horticultural land taken over by a dairy industry being squeezed by expanding forestry, MPs have been told.
Farmers back 2030 methane cuts - but not 2050
25 Jul 2019
Dairy farmers are backing the Government’s plan to cut methane emissions by 10 per cent by 2030, telling MPs it is achievable.
Pigs in the shade: This radical farming system banks on trees
16 Jul 2019
A farm in Portugal is showing how the ancient art of silvopasture – combining livestock with productive trees – might offer some real answers to the climate crisis.
Think bioenergy for woodlots, farmers told
15 Jul 2019
Farmers facing falling log exports and prices for timber from woodlots are being urged to consider a new market – bioenergy.
Farmers table offer for cutting methane
4 Jul 2019
Farmers say they are prepared to cut methane emissions by 10 per cent by 2050 – well short of the target the Government intends imposing.
Nervous farmers eye methane cut obligations
1 Jul 2019
The prospect of having to cut methane emissions by 10 per cent over the next decade is depressing otherwise optimistic farmers.
Nats vow to fight farm emissions moves
17 Jun 2019
The National Party says it will continue to oppose bringing agricultural emissions into the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Farmers not alone in methane mix, say Nats
10 Jun 2019
The farming sector isn’t the only industry that should be targeted for methane reductions, the National Party says.
IT'S OFFICIAL:We should cut down on meat meals
5 Jun 2019
It’s World Environment Day – and officials are telling New Zealanders to mark it by eating less meat.
Why many farmers aren't cutting emissions
4 Jun 2019
Almost half New Zealand’s farmers don’t think they should have to cut greenhouse gas emissions from their operations – yet most are willing to do it if they can be convinced it won’t cost them money, new research shows.
Disbeliever Brash turns financial backer
6 May 2019
Former National Party leader and one-time Reserve Bank Governor Dr Don Brash might have had doubts in the past about whether humans are changing the climate, but now he’s throwing his money and weight behind technology that could help to solve New Zealand’s methane headache.
Carbon farming could be the way, says Rabobank
3 May 2019
Agricultural finance specialist Rabobank is telling farming customers to think about carbon farming, saying it could be more profitable than farming animals.
Farm emissions can be slashed, says scientist
1 May 2019
A New Zealand scientist says his technology could slash New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, earning carbon credits for farmers and boosting farm production.
Farmers fight build-up of salt in soils
16 Apr 2019
Irrigation, drought, sea-level rise and more are causing salt to build up in soils around the world.
Don't rule out GE as a solution, say farmers
8 Apr 2019
Genetic modification should not be ruled out by the Government as a solution for climate change and other environmental issues, Federated Farmers says.
FLY FEAR: Fruit pest will enjoy warming climate
27 Feb 2019
The risk of Queensland fruit flies establishing in New Zealand is expecting to increase as the climate warms, threatening the country’s horticultural industry.
Farmers put climate worries on back burner
15 Feb 2019
Climate change and the Emissions Trading Scheme have fallen down the list of things worrying farmers.
Why we must have climate-smart farming
31 Jan 2019
Food shocks are becoming more frequent as the climate changes, prompting calls for “climate-smart” farming systems and the building up of global food reserves.
We must farm fewer animals, say scientists
29 Nov 2018
A new science paper spelling out why animal agriculture will have to be severely curtailed if the Paris Agreement targets are to be met could have huge implications for New Zealand.
Use of nitrogen must be curbed, says OECD
23 Nov 2018
Nitrogen use – responsible for a large chunk of New Zealand’s pollution and greenhouse gas emissions – needs curbing, the OECD is warning.
Nitrogen inhibitors could return to the farm
5 Nov 2018
Nitrogen inhibitors could be in use on New Zealand farms again by 2020, farmers say.
Emissions failure will hurt farmers, says Fonterra
31 Oct 2018
A global failure to cut greenhouse gas emissions will see New Zealand farmers face demands for major production cuts, the world’s largest milk-producer is warning.
TINY TRACTORS: Welcome to the rise of the robot farmer
23 Oct 2018
Tiny automated machines could soon take care of the entire growing process down on the farm. Fewer chemicals, more efficient – where’s the downside?
How the world dairy herd could be brought to its knees
16 Oct 2018
The drive for genetic selection means cattle are increasingly vulnerable to deadly new epidemics that could emerge as the climate warms.
Farms can grow more and slow climate change
17 Sep 2018
New ways of digging the dirt could both deliver more food and slow climate change. And farmers in the developing world are making a difference.
Vertical farming sounds great but it eats energy
13 Sep 2018
A company in Scotland has unveiled what it claims is the world’s most technically advanced indoor farm.
Fewer cows can mean more profit, says scientist
10 Sep 2018
Cutting stock numbers on farms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect waterways would actually boost farm profits, says the lead author of research out today.
Europe climate strategy forgets about soil
17 Jul 2018
While climate change takes a toll on agriculture and land use contributes to warming the planet, soils still find little attention from policymakers in their climate strategies.
The what, where, when and why of food production
17 Jul 2018
Researchers have compiled a database on food production around the world in order to determine the best means of reducing the environmental impacts of what we eat.
Seaweed slashes cow emissions, say scientists
31 May 2018
A small amount of marine algae added to cattle food can reduce their methane emissions by as much as 99 per cent, scientists say.
Sheep and beef farmers make carbon-neutral call
16 May 2018
New Zealand’s beef and sheep sector says it will be carbon-neutral by 2050.
Get ready for longer droughts, warn scientists
10 May 2018
New Zealand’s land-based primary industries need to get ready for more serious crop diseases as climate change causes longer droughts, warns new research.
Young scientists to get NZ study money
8 May 2018
New Zealand is funding doctorate scholarships for nine young scientists to investigate ways to get greenhouse gas emissions out of food production.
Dodgy rainfall becoming big worry in grazing regions
23 Feb 2018
Nearly half of the world's pastureland is experiencing notable changes in precipitation, driving up the risk to grazing and herding communities.
Changing climate could bring bad news for broccoli
13 Feb 2018
The warming climate could spell trouble for cabbages and broccoli. Research out today shows that seed dispersal by brassicas will be affected by rising temperatures.
Sustainable agriculture needs financing
2 Feb 2018
Agriculture stands at a crossroads between its current contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and the number of mouths it needs to feed in the developing world.
Watch what you eat, scientists tell the rich
6 Dec 2017
Global greenhouse gas emissions would fall if people in rich countries like New Zealand ate healthily, Dutch scientists say.
Memo Americans: Hold the beef
5 Dec 2017
Americans need to halve the amount of beef they eat if the country’s agriculture is to become sustainable, a new paper says.
Dairying sees green as the new colour of business
22 Nov 2017
Climate change and other environmental risks now rank higher than economic issues in the minds of business and political leaders, according to a new report by New Zealand’s dairy industry.
Farming organically could cut gas emissions
17 Nov 2017
Converting land from conventional agriculture to organic production could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the run-off of excess nitrogen from fertilisers, and cut pesticide use.
Fonterra intends to get rid of coal ... later
15 Nov 2017
Fonterra says it is turning its back on coal as part of a drive towards being carbon-neutral by 2050.
Down on the farm, data's in the driving seat
15 Nov 2017
Last week, Fonterra’s environmental manager, FRANCESCA EGGLETON, told a gathering at the COP23 climate talks in Bonn how the world’s largest dairy producer is using data to reduce its environmental footprint.
Livestock emissions must be cut, say scientists
13 Nov 2017
Livestock emissions will have to be cut if the world is to keep warming down to Paris Agreement levels, two top New Zealand scientists are warning.
Climate change brings truffles to Wales
8 Nov 2017
An expensive Mediterranean black truffle has been cultivated in the UK for the first time, the farthest north that the species has been found.
Five reasons not to spray the bugs this summer
8 Nov 2017
The weather is getting warmer, and gardens are coming alive with bees, flies, butterflies, dragonflies, praying mantises, beetles, millipedes, centipedes, and spiders.
Blockchain powers consumer choice at Thanksgiving
7 Nov 2017
American agricultural conglomerate Cargill is testing the blockchain to track and trace the origin of turkey products produced by family farms.
Carbon-neutral eggs, anyone?
6 Nov 2017
There’s the much-criticised battery hen egg, and then the pricier organic and free-range varieties. But for the truly ethically committed, how about the carbon-neutral egg, laid in what has been billed as the world’s most environmentally friendly farm?
Rooftop gardens a game-changer for Wellington
3 Nov 2017
Wellingtonians want rooftop gardens – and the idea is being investigated by the city’s university.
UN launches $1bn fund for sustainable farming
20 Oct 2017
UN Environment has partnered with Dutch financial institution Rabobank to establish a $1 billion fund offering grants and loans to businesses interesting in investing in sustainable farming practices.
Agrifood mergers bad for farmers, warn experts
18 Oct 2017
Mergers in the agrifood sector squeeze farmers’ income and consolidate current models of food production, aggravating environmental and social fallouts, according to experts.
Legal experts sue Climate minister over ‘glaring holes’ in climate plan
Wed 11 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Legal experts are taking the government to court over its Emissions Reduction Plan, alleging it fails to fulfil basic requirements of the law – with one of the arguments focussing on an over-reliance on tree-planting.
Electric firebricks: decarbonising high-temperature industrial heat
Fri 13 Jun 2025
By Ian Mason | A new technology could offer a more cost-effective solution than hydrogen to decarbonise one ‘hard-to-abate’ sector of New Zealand’s economy, as well as having ample potential for demand response as the electricity grid becomes more renewable.
Tech alone won’t save us, warns climate expert
4 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Technology alone won't be enough to reach net zero emissions, environmental psychologist Lorraine Whitmarsh told the Carbon and Energy Professionals conference in Auckland last week.
“It’s not the car – it’s how we move” – EECA
3 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams| New Zealand’s transport emissions conversation has focused heavily on electric vehicles – but Richard Briggs, group manager, delivery and partnerships at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, says we’re asking the wrong question.
Forestry consents and relaxed rules in erosion zones sow seeds of future disaster
Fri 13 Jun 2025
OPINION: The government’s move to restrict exotic forestry on our best food-growing soils will push even more forestry investment onto high erosion risk land on the East Coast, with the worst land becoming the only land left for the most intensive and destructive land use, writes Manu Caddie
Kiwi cleantech companies on the world stage
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.
