New Zealand: Agriculture
Give ETS strength, pleads forest industry chief
17 Mar 2016
The Emissions Trading Scheme is a eunuch that needs to have its vasectomy reversed, the head of the forestry industry says.
Climate needs Africa’s farmers to change fast
15 Mar 2016
Climate change could soon begin to make dramatic impacts on Africa’s agriculture. Up to 60 per cent of land now used to grow beans could become unviable by the end of the century – and in some places, farmers will need to change their ways within the next 10 years.
New methane probe points finger at agriculture
11 Mar 2016
New research showing that agriculture, and not fossil fuels, is responsible for rising methane levels is especially important for New Zealand, says the lead researcher.
Dairy dive has message, says eco economist
8 Mar 2016
Collapsing dairy prices are a warning of what can happen when businesses live beyond their ecological means, says an expert in ecological economics.
Scientists study slow-burning trees
29 Feb 2016
Planting less-flammable trees on farms might help to stop the spread of wildfires in New Zealand as the planet warms.
Climate change is killing off India’s giant bees
23 Feb 2016
A warming climate and the loss of natural areas to meet the demands of tourism are driving Indian bee colonies to the brink, imperilling an essential food source.
Organic farmers win better base for milk price
15 Feb 2016
Fonterra is offering organic farmers an independent milk price reflecting consumer demand.
Effluent reduction model could change dairying
15 Feb 2016
A Northland farmer's determination to secure the resource consent compliance that had been eluding him has seen him play a key role in a potentially game-changing effluent reduction model for the dairy industry.
How a phosphorus shortage could leave us short of food
15 Feb 2016
It’s not as well-known as the other issues, but phosphorus depletion is no less significant. We could live without cars or unusual species, but if phosphorus ran out we’d have to live without food.
Govt's ETS stand has dangers, say economists
9 Feb 2016
Excluding agriculture from the Emissions Trading Scheme might be economically inefficient, say Westpac economists.
It's time to rethink what we want from farming
9 Feb 2016
Scientists say nature conservation and protecting the planet from global warming can both be achieved if land is used sustainably, not just for immediate profit.
Disease threatens to kill off bananas ... but there's a way we might save them
9 Feb 2016
Catastrophe is looming for the banana industry. A new strain has emerged of a soil-borne fungus known as “Panama disease” which can wipe out entire plantations – and it is rapidly spreading around the world.
How planning helps these farmers to beat the climate
2 Feb 2016
South Africa’s Western Cape plays an important role in the agricultural economy, but is particularly vulnerable to a changing climate.
UK must balance food farming impacts
18 Jan 2016
The UK could reduce its emissions by converting farmland to absorb more carbon dioxide − but risks increasing climate change effects abroad.
New food status doesn't let NZ off the hook
15 Dec 2015
The pivotal role of agriculture in feeding the world has been recognised in the Paris Agreement on climate change – but that doesn’t mean New Zealand won’t be held accountable for biological emissions.
Govt didn't ask officials about agriculture and the ETS review
15 Dec 2015
The Government got no advice from officials on excluding agriculture from the Emissions Trading Scheme – despite officials earlier saying it should be included.
Farmers would do better to understand the land
15 Dec 2015
Suppose your relationship is falling apart and you want to save it. To find the best counsellor, you might search online or ask your friends. It’s no different in agriculture.
Catastrophe looms as arable land is lost
7 Dec 2015
Government officials are calling for major changes in the way New Zealand manages soils, as international scientists warn of catastrophic loss of arable land.
Plant to beat emissions, expert tells farmers
30 Nov 2015
Cutting production is not the only way for New Zealand to offset agricultural emissions, says a forestry expert.
Taupo farmers take sustainability award
30 Nov 2015
A Taupo farming operation that found a way to live within a nitrogen cap took the top award at this year’s Sustainable Business Network awards.
Can eating less meat really tackle climate change?
30 Nov 2015
With the food system accounting for up to a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, anything that reduces its impact will make a big difference to the climate.
Fires and drought put pressure on US agriculture
16 Nov 2015
The effects of climate change mean the topsoil that gives the US its agricultural strength is now in danger of being blown away.
Best not to mess with agriculture yet, says NZ First
2 Nov 2015
Agriculture should be left out of the Emissions Trading Scheme until other countries act on biological emissions, says New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.
Spread of drylands will hit poorer nations hardest
2 Nov 2015
Global warming, increasing aridity and rapidly expanding human population will lead to drylands covering half of the Earth’s land surface by the end of this century.
Groser confirms emissions backlash fear
27 Oct 2015
Climate Change Minister Tim Groser has confirmed that it was fear of an international backlash that stopped the Government splitting agricultural emissions from other emissions in New Zealand’s post-2020 emissions reduction target, despite strong pressure from Treasury.
BNZ's farmers are serious about climate change
27 Oct 2015
Half the Bank of New Zealand’s customers expect the economy to be affected by climate change, says chief executive Anthony Healy.
A new era of migration ... and not just for people
19 Oct 2015
The world is watching as refugees flood into a Europe unprepared for the new arrivals.
France has a soil plan – and it’s not just about wine
12 Oct 2015
French wine lovers have always taken their soil very seriously. But now the country’s government has introduced fresh reasons for the rest of the world to pay attention to their terroir.
Climate-smart villages boost Nepali farmers' harvests
12 Oct 2015
Nepali farmers find environmentally friendly cultivation methods increase yields – and also help them adapt to rising temperatures and increasingly erratic rainfall.
Pesticides are not the only way to deal with insects
5 Oct 2015
This article is not about how to prevent ants from eating your sandwich on a picnic. But it is about mankind’s greatest competitor for our global food resource: insects.
Our farming economics are flawed, says economist
28 Sep 2015
Agricultural emissions can be cut without affecting profitability, according to a former Treasury and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry economist.
Here's to a low-emissions future for agriculture
28 Sep 2015
Agriculture in New Zealand could look vastly different in 2050 from the way it looks today, a cross-party seminar on climate change heard last week.
How low-tech farming can help African farmers
28 Sep 2015
Politicians and the Pope are not the only ones calling for action on climate change these days. Farmers are observing changes in rainfall, temperature and other patterns in weather that have spurred them into shifting their farming methods.
Backlash fear stopped move on agriculture emissions
21 Sep 2015
New Zealand came close to splitting agriculture off from its post-2020 emissions reduction target in a bid to save money, but dropped the idea amid fears of an international backlash.
No action on agriculture could cost us $13b
21 Sep 2015
Keeping agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme could cost taxpayers $13 billion between 2020 and 2030, Treasury says.
Climate models may misjudge soils' carbon emissions
31 Aug 2015
How soil organisms cope with decaying vegetation is much less certain than climate models suppose, researchers say, and carbon emission estimates may be wrong.
Extreme weather puts Africa's food security at risk
17 Aug 2015
A British government scientific panel says increasingly frequent heat waves, droughts and other extreme weather threaten more – and more severe – global food crises.
Added gene can make rice more climate-friendly
17 Aug 2015
Scientists discover a way to boost production of the grain that billions rely on for food – and reduce its damaging emissions of methane.
Land deal runs foul of investment office
10 Aug 2015
An Australian company that used a New Zealand contact to buy land for carbon farming has fallen foul of the Overseas Investment Office.
As biodiversity declines on corn farms, pest problems grow
3 Aug 2015
Biodiversity performs critical ecosystem functions that cannot be replaced indefinitely by technology, such as pesticides and herbicides. This includes a diverse population of insects on farms.
Soil maps could help show the way for farmers
27 Jul 2015
Detailed soil maps of farms could reduce nitrate leaching and help to improve food production, a Lincoln University report suggests.
Forecasting dead zones and toxic algae in US waterways: a bad year for Lake Erie
27 Jul 2015
Over the past two decades, scientists have developed ways to predict how ecosystems will react to changing environmental conditions.
Groser pleads special case for animal emissions
20 Jul 2015
New Zealand wants the next global climate change agreement to treat biological gases treated differently from other greenhouse gases.
Warming planet heightens plight of the bumblebee
13 Jul 2015
By TIM RADFORD.- Scientists warn that human intervention may be needed to protect bees as climate change overheats their southern habitat range.
Ambitious, but we'll do our bit, say farmers
8 Jul 2015
Agriculture will play its part in cutting greenhouse gas emissions to meet the “ambitious” 2030 emissions reduction target announced yesterday, Federated Farmers says.
Is palm oil the scourge of the earth, or a wonder crop?
6 Jul 2015
If you happen to mention palm oil to most people outside of Asia you are unlikely to get a particularly positive reaction.
We must act now to save farming industry, says expert
22 Jun 2015
Billions of dollars worth of research and on-farm advisers are needed to prepare the New Zealand farming sector for the massive shift to sustainable agriculture, an expert is warning.
Frustrated local farm adviser heads overseas
22 Jun 2015
An agricultural adviser whose clients are slashing inputs while maintaining production is shifting her business overseas in frustration at a lack of progress in New Zealand.
Waste to wealth: the hidden potential of waste from fruit
22 Jun 2015
South Africa produces millions of tonnes of fruit each year that are exported, consumed locally, or processed into value-added products such as juice, canned fruit or wine.
Rise in CO2 could restrict growing days for crops
22 Jun 2015
While plants in temperate zones may benefit from higher temperatures, global warming’s impact in the tropics threatens catastrophe for food security.
Govt’s relief package risks entrenching fossil fuel dependence, critics warn
Wed 25 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s $373 million fuel relief package is facing criticism for propping up petrol use rather than reducing demand, as prices surge and some experts predict fuel shortages due to conflict in the Middle East.
NZ prepares to join ‘gold rush’ for white hydrogen
Wed 25 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand may be close to commercialising the capture and use of naturally occurring ‘white’ hydrogen, with investment plans for developments in the Wairarapa region picking up pace in response to spiralling oil prices.
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.
Govt's $50m EV charging boost to double network
Mon 23 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | More than 2,500 new EV chargers are set to be rolled out across New Zealand, more than doubling the public network – but still leaving the total at less than half the Government's 10,000 target.
Tairāwhiti needs proper Govt support to heal the land – not empty announcements for political optics
24 Feb 2026
OPINION: The Government’s answer to Tairāwhiti’s severe erosion crisis – that the region apply for modest, contestable funding rounds – while rejecting the region's own land transition business case, leaves our long-term resilience hanging in the balance, writes Manu Caddie.
Rule changes could reshape corporate emissions strategies
6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand organisations may need to rethink how they manage and report electricity-related emissions as proposed global accounting changes take shape, according to a new report.
