New Zealand: Agriculture
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.
Feeding grain to farm animals to hit $1tn a year
9 Oct 2017
The global practice of feeding human foods, such as grain and soya, to farm animals will cost us $1.32 trillion a year by 2050, according to environmental campaigners.
Factory farming is a threat to all life on the planet
5 Oct 2017
The world desperately needs joined-up action on industrial farming if it is to avoid catastrophic impacts on life on earth, according to the head of one of the world’s most highly regarded animal campaign groups.
Why eating grass-fed beef isn’t going to help fight climate
5 Oct 2017
Beef gets a bad press, environmentally speaking. We’re bombarded with reports of its high carbon footprint accompanied by images of belching cows and devastated rainforests.
NZ safe from global animal emissions discovery
2 Oct 2017
New research showing the impact of methane from agriculture has been under-estimated doesn’t affect New Zealand greenhouse gas measurements.
Livestock emit more methane than we thought
2 Oct 2017
Global emissions of methane from livestock are larger than previously thought, scientists have said.
SHEAR CRUELTY: Forget fur, is it time to stop wearing wool?
26 Sep 2017
Animal rights charity Peta is best known for its naked anti-fur stunts, but these days it is more worried about wool.
Climate change threatens Te Puke kiwifruit
15 Sep 2017
The most commonly grown variety of kiwifruit around Te Puke will not be commercially viable in the area by the end of the century, say scientists.
Nats vow to 'turbo-charge' farming grants
12 Sep 2017
National is promising to almost triple the money it allocates to the Sustainable Farming Fund if it is returned to power.
Swiss pay heavy price for intensive farming
8 Sep 2017
Intensive agriculture has gradually dried out Switzerland's ponds, and soils are no longer able to handle violent rains, creating increased flooding and mud slides.
NZ backs global climate research project
30 Aug 2017
New Zealand is supporting a new $400,000 scholarship programme to build global expertise on climate change and food security.
Poultry plant earns applause for water use
30 Aug 2017
Australasia’s biggest poultry company has been recognised for the sustainable way it manages water use at a New Zealand plant.
Researchers to probe rich options for Maori land
23 Aug 2017
Rising carbon prices mean carbon farming, backed by manuka honey production, is becoming a viable use of Maori land, says the head of a Ruatoria charitable company.
Climate threatens three of four vital grain crops
22 Aug 2017
Three of the four major grains on which the growing world population depends are vulnerable to global warming, says a new meta-analysis based on more than 70 studies.
Every degree of warming counts for crop harvests
17 Aug 2017
The world can expect 3 per cent to 7 per cent less yield for each degree rise in temperature.
Sustainable Farming Fund grants open
9 Aug 2017
Applications for the latest round of Sustainable Farming Fund grants are open.
Livestock mega farms booming in Britain
18 Jul 2017
Nearly every county in England has at least one industrial-scale livestock farm, with close to 800 US-style mega farms operating across the UK, new research reveals.
Organic farming might not cut climate risk
27 Jun 2017
Organic farming does not always benefit the environment in the ways people expect, and might not avert climate change effects, scientists say.
Federated Famers warns of consequences
26 Jun 2017
Federated Farmers is warning politicians of “consequences” if agricultural emissions are brought into the Emissions Trading Scheme before other countries put a carbon price on farming.
CARBON CATCH-22: The pollution in our soil
23 Jun 2017
Bad behaviour doesn’t usually have good consequences but our fossil fuel and fertiliser habits may have had some “good” environmental side-effects.
COUNTRY CALL: Farmers want ETS and water price
21 Jun 2017
Parts of the agricultural sector are calling for farming to be included in the Emissions Trading Scheme and for a price on water.
We must do something, dairy industry agrees
15 Jun 2017
The dairy industry is acknowledging it needs to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Govt tweaks consenting rules for EV chargers
Fri 10 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has announced a national reset of planning rules for EV chargers, which it says aim to address infrastructure shortages which have put the brakes on electric vehicle uptake in New Zealand.
Pūkaki consent battle becomes proxy for system risk
Today 11:15am
The fight over Lake Pūkaki is no longer just about a consent change. It has become a proxy for how much New Zealand is willing to pay for electricity system resilience – and how that price should be set.
Annual emissions fell to lowest in 15 years in Sept 2025
5 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions fell to their lowest annual total in the year to September 2025 since records began 2010, according to Statistics New Zealand data published this morning.
NZ’s latest push to roll out more EV chargers is a good thing – but can it go the distance?
Today 11:15am
A $50 million plan to expand New Zealand’s public electric vehicle (EV) charging network marks another step toward a lower-emissions transport system.
Wellington planting nears one million trees
30 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Greater Wellington’s parks restoration programme will hit one million native trees this year, with the first dams to rewet peat wetlands in Queen Elizabeth Park now completed after a years-long effort to bring these ecosystems – and their carbon sequestering superpowers – back to life.
Businesses look for ways to cut costs in response to oil shock
1 Apr 2026
New Zealand’s small and medium-sized businesses are looking for ways to ease the pressure as global tensions see rising fossil fuel prices and diminishing supply, with decision-makers mulling measures including work-from-home polices and transport or logistics changes.
