For New Zealand farmers, lowering emissions is not a choice — it’s ultimately a requirement from our global customers and trading partners. Photo / Brett Phibbs
For New Zealand farmers, lowering emissions is not a choice — it’s ultimately a requirement from our global customers and trading partners. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Opinion by Wayne McNee
OPINION
AgriZeroNZ chief executive Wayne McNee reflects on his experience at Cop28 and the unique challenges facing the agriculture sector in fighting climate change.
The atmosphere at Dubai’s sprawling Cop28 headquarters was a chaotic mix of hope and frustration.
I’ve been reflecting on my visit to the UN climate summit in December when 100,000 or so people from almost 200 countries gathered to discuss the future of our planet.
In a historic agreement, the final deal called on all countries to transition away from fossil fuels — coal, oil and natural gas.
That’s why coming up with climate-smart tools to cut methane is seen as a crucial way forward for the global agriculture industry — an opportunity the sector is right behind.
In Dubai, I attended panel discussions and meetings around transforming our food systems to address climate change, including a session led by the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C), a joint initiative between the US and the United Arab Emirates.
AgriZeroNZ is among 600 Knowledge Partners of AIM4C, which is focused on increasing investment in agricultural innovation.
This is a worldwide issue, but a very important challenge for New Zealand.
I was impressed by people’s passion and enjoyed sharing the work we’re doing in New Zealand to future-proof our rural economy.
AgriZeroNZ chief executive Wayne McNee.
Listening to NZ’s global customers
For New Zealand farmers, lowering emissions is not a choice — it’s ultimately a requirement from our global customers and trading partners.
Our farming exports are renowned worldwide because of our unique pastoral and grass-fed systems.
Food products from our pasture-raised animals not only taste better, but they’re healthier, with higher levels of good fats, antioxidants and protein.
But international customers that pay a premium for these products, such as Nestlé, McDonald’s, supermarket giant Sainsbury’s and many others, continue to set ambitious targets for emissions reductions through their supply chain. They have to do it — and show how they’re doing it too.
Banks are changing their approach to lending, and their providers of capital are also requiring them to show emissions reductions.
We need to act now or risk losing high-end customers and breaching trade agreements.
Farmers at the heart of our transition
With almost half of New Zealand’s GHG emissions coming from agriculture, it represents the greatest opportunity to reduce our contribution to climate change.
Our farmers are already doing great work — research shows they’re some of the most emissions-efficient in the world.
But global competitors are never far behind.
Kiwi farmers need more practical tools in their hands to control emissions, and quickly.
Farmers’ work is the backbone of our economy, and they must be able to stay profitable and productive.
Finding solutions for farmers
AgriZeroNZ is a world-first public-private partnership with our leading primary sector businesses, on behalf of their farmer shareholders and clients, to help farmers cut emissions while keeping their competitive edge.
The joint venture was established in February last year with an ambition to ensure all Kiwi farmers have equitable access to solutions supporting a 30 per cent reduction in methane and nitrous oxide by 2030, and near zero by 2040.
The reality is there won’t be one quick fix, so we’re taking calculated risks and scanning the world for new ideas and technologies.
We’ve already invested in multiple exciting projects that could work in our pasture-based farming methods.
They include a vaccine, and a bolus that sits in the stomach of an animal to reduce methane emissions.
A methane vaccine is recognised as potentially the best option to shift the dial because it can easily fit into our farming systems without compromising on profitability and productivity.
New Zealand’s pioneering vaccine research has the potential to slash the methane produced in a ruminant animal’s stomach by 30 per cent.
These technological advances could have a global impact.
The clock is ticking
As New Zealand basks in the summer sunshine, scientists have confirmed 2023 was the planet’s hottest year on record. The world is being battered by more-extreme storms and droughts.
In New Zealand, we’ve seen that for ourselves.
We’ve all been paying higher prices at the supermarket partly because of fruit, vegetables and stock lost in the devasting floods following Cyclone Gabrielle.
Federated Farmers estimated total on-farm costs from that storm could top $1 billion.
Everything AgriZeroNZ is doing now is part of an effort to make all our futures more secure.
Climate action needs financial support
The buy-in from our agri-partners is vital and unique.
Our founding industry shareholders represent some of the biggest names in New Zealand agri-business: Anzco Foods, Fonterra, Rabobank, Ravensdown, Silver Fern Farms and Synlait.
Their investment into the fund is matched dollar for dollar by the other 50 per cent shareholder, the Government — through the Ministry for Primary Industries.
Together, our shareholders are accountable to the majority of New Zealand farmers, providing a pathway to support the tools’ uptake on farm.
AgriZeroNZ’s goal is ambitious and important — and we are running out of time to act.
My conversations at Cop28 in Dubai showed international interest and support for our work.
It’s important we keep the momentum going.
Only continued co-operation and a sharp focus on methane reduction will help us cultivate a future for our agriculture sector that is more efficient, sustainable and profitable than ever before.
