Category Archives: Dairy

Moving forward with methane levies

Split-gas breaks the link to charging methane emissions based on contentious carbon dioxide equivalence. It opens the door to a levy based on research, development, extension and education (RDE&E) needs rather than simply a tax In my last article I … Continue reading

Posted in Dairy, greenhouse gases, Meat Industry, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

Key methane technologies misfire

  Methane technology breakthroughs cannot stop cannot ruminants from doing what comes naturally Reducing methane production from pastoral agriculture lies at the heart of efforts to make pastoral agriculture more climate friendly. If only sheep and cattle could be made … Continue reading

Posted in carbon farming, Dairy, forestry, greenhouse gases, sheep and beef farms, Uncategorized | 15 Comments

Dairy is fundamental to New Zealand’s future but it needs an informed debate

The key message of this article is that dairy is of fundamental importance to the future of Aotearoa New Zealand.  However, the journey to get there is not straight forward and it will be controversial. First, I set out the … Continue reading

Posted in Dairy, greenhouse gases, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Climate Change Commission pours reality on HWEN proposals

Industry groups now need to decide how to manage the HWEN stand-off with the risk of being left outside the tent Big decisions are now required, both by rural industry groups and Government, following the Climate Change Commission advice on … Continue reading

Posted in carbon farming, Dairy, forestry, greenhouse gases, Uncategorized | 15 Comments

Wrestling with methane metrics

The methane debate is more about politics, policy and value judgements than it is about science In my previous article, I explained how there is much controversy about how methane should be compared to carbon dioxide in terms of global … Continue reading

Posted in Dairy, greenhouse gases, sheep and beef farms, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

The methane issue is far from settled

Big methane decisions lie ahead that will affect all New Zealanders In late May, the eleven rural-industry partners in He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) reached internal compromises that were sufficient for all to sign-up to a joint greenhouse gas (GHG) … Continue reading

Posted in Dairy, greenhouse gases, Meat Industry, sheep and beef farms, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

Can agriculture meet its methane targets?

New Zealand agrculture is required to achieve a ten percent reduction in its methane emissions by 2030.  This is set down in legislation. The subsequent 2050 target, also laid out in legislation, has been set in the range of 24-47 … Continue reading

Posted in Agribusiness, Dairy, sheep and beef farms, Uncategorized | 21 Comments

Fonterra’s new capital structure gets closer

Fonterra’s new capital structure brings its own risks, designed for choppy seas but not for a storm The Government has been wrestling for many months as to how to respond to Fonterra’s proposed new capital structure, which its farmer-members voted … Continue reading

Posted in Dairy, Fonterra, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Agriculture’s greenhouse gas proposals need a reset

  Refocusing agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions from CO2e to a genuine split-gas approach requires a reset of thinking, with big decisions ahead The coming weeks are crucial in sorting out the long-term charging framework, right through to 2050, for agriculture’s … Continue reading

Posted in carbon farming, Dairy, greenhouse gases, sheep and beef farms, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

Crunch times ahead for agricultural methane and nitrous oxide

New Zealand must quickly come to grips with how agricultural-sourced methane and nitrous oxide are going to be managed within the ‘Zero Carbon Act’, more formally called the ‘Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019’.   This Act brings both … Continue reading

Posted in Dairy, greenhouse gases, sheep and beef farms, Uncategorized | 4 Comments