KEY POINTS:
Meat production could become a "lightning rod" for the carbon footprint debate, a major British food retailer has warned New Zealand.
Mike Barry, head of corporate social responsibility for Marks and Spencer, yesterday told an Auckland conference by video link from Britain that campaigners often looked for a defining issue.
Mr Barry had been asked about his views on New Zealand's future as a large meat-producing nation in light of the increasing pressure to achieve carbon neutrality.
He told the conference, which was exploring the conflict between rural and urban demands, there was potential for convergence of sustainable issues around meat production.
"You can imagine meat, for totally different reasons to different people, being a lightning rod for debate."
Mr Barry said meat would always be a vital part of the diet of the British nation, and it was important that producers and retailers put out positive messages about its production and the way that could be improved.
"I encourage you as a meat-producing country to be right on top of the science and provide evidence regarding the carbon footprint of meat production, and what can be done to reduce it."
Even a 5 per cent reduction would be enormous as the production of the raw material of meat and dairy was a major overall carbon footprint driver - more so than the transport, packaging or cooking of the products.
The race was on to find a scientific base to measure that and New Zealand had the "know-how and passion" to get there before anyone else, he said.
"The best science is coming out of New Zealand to understand the true carbon footprint of food."
Mr Barry said New Zealand could brand itself green if it could galvanise a large part of its population into driving the change.
