He Waka Eke Noa all talk no action: NZIEF

13 Jun 22 - The NZ Institute of Forestry has declared last week’s He Waka Eke Noa emissions pricing proposal all talk and no action.

HWEN proposes burp levy with proceeds recycled to agricultural research

8 Jun 22 - He Waka Eke Noa, the Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership, is proposing a farm-level split gas levy as its preferred alternative to pricing agriculture emissions through the Emissions Trading Scheme.

Switching to plant-based cheese can reduce carbon emissions by 50% compared to the dairy version

1 Jun 22 - A life cycle evaluation used to determine environmental impacts, including indicators for climate impact and land use, has revealed that ordinary cheese is a major cause of carbon emissions.

Livestock methane emissions tackled by Western Australian company with 'inorganic bioactives'

17 May 22 - A Western Australian company claims to have produced bioactives in a laboratory that could reduce livestock methane emissions by up to 95%.

Is there room for fruit trees in carbon capture programmes?

9 Feb 22 - Climate change concerns from buyers and regulators are pushing agricultural commodity groups in new directions. Some have even started to participate in carbon-capture incentive programs such as carbon markets. But is there room for tree fruit in these programmes?

Aussie biodiversity market a step closer

19 Nov 21 - Plans to pay farmers for the biodiversity benefits they deliver have progressed today with the Australian Government kicking off the legislation process.

Govt gives cautious welcome to US-European methane pledge

20 Sep 21 - Climate Change minister James Shaw says it’s great to see the EU and US committing to reducing methane emissions by 30% over the next nine years but isn’t committing the government to signing New Zealand up just yet.

Biogas proposals risk locking in unsustainable agriculture: groups claim

15 Jul 21 - Proposals in a recent biogas report, part-funded by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), risks locking in agricultural practices that harm the country’s soils and waters and...

Climate change slashes agricultural productivity

6 Apr 21 - Research shows rising temperatures since 1960s have acted as a handbrake on agricultural yield of crops and livestock

How our eating is causing global deforestation

30 Mar 21 - The average western consumer of coffee, chocolate, beef, palm oil and other commodities is responsible for the felling of four trees every year, many in wildlife-rich tropical forests, research has...

Big Food eyeing China's growing flexitarian market

4 Mar 21 - The alternative protein market in China is positioned to continue its rapid growth in the coming years, driven by the rise of flexitarianism in the country.

Report: Drystock farms nowhere near net-zero

1 Mar 21 - Sheep and beef farms are sequestering much less carbon than the drystock sector claims, officials say.

Three technologies that will change food production

25 Feb 21 - Agriculture’s impact on the planet is massive and relentless. Roughly 40 per cent of the Earth’s suitable land surface is used for cropland and grazing.

Plant-based diets crucial to saving wildlife, says UN report

4 Feb 21 - The global food system is the biggest driver of destruction of the natural world, and a shift to predominantly plant-based diets is crucial in halting the damage, according to a report.

Confusion over ETS rules is holding us back, says farmer

3 Feb 21 - Wairarapa farmer Mike Ashby feels the Government’s 2025 deadline for bringing agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme hanging over his head like a Sword of Damocles.

SYNLAIT: Food giants ready to pay for sustainable products

9 Dec 20 - New Zealand dairy producers and food processors have a great opportunity to benefit from recent emission-reduction pledges by global brands, Synlait Milk said.

Biogas plans from livestock called greenwashing by environmentalists

8 Dec 20 - Corporate pork and dairy producers are producing biogas to reduce methane emissions. But the actual climate benefits are unclear, and often overstated.

Dairy company says it's well on the way to measuring farm emissions

25 Nov 20 - Fonterra is optimistic it will find a way to accurately measure the amount of greenhouse gas emissions being produced by each dairy farm in time to meet a Government deadline of 2022.

Mixed farming beats intensive agriculture methods

24 Nov 20 - Once again, researchers have shown that it should be possible to feed the human race and leave enough space for the rest of creation, simply by going back to centuries-old mixed farming practices.

More in the Agriculture Archive