"The agricultural sector has put its own profits ahead of a stable climate and avoided taking any responsibility for its giant share of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions," writes Gord Stewart. Photo / Mark Mitchell
"The agricultural sector has put its own profits ahead of a stable climate and avoided taking any responsibility for its giant share of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions," writes Gord Stewart. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Opinion by Gord Stewart
OPINION
It’s time for livestock farmers with a conscience and grandchildren to speak up. Young farmers must speak up, too, for their own sake.
This may be the only way to get the climate change action needed from our farming sector, given the ongoing delaying tactics of agribusiness leaders andsuccessive governments that have complied with their wishes.
For two decades, the agricultural sector has put its own profits ahead of a stable climate and avoided taking any responsibility for its giant share of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions – nearly half the total. (Livestock farming contributes almost all of this, dairy leading the way.)
Big Ag has repeatedly overcome government attempts to put a price on agricultural emissions and to include agriculture in the Emissions Trading Scheme. But knowing that emissions could not remain unpriced forever, it sought control. He Waka Eke Noa, the primary sector climate partnership agreed to by the Government in 2019, thus came up with its own blueprint for emission reductions and pricing. Discussions continue, but Treasury says the current plan would be costly for taxpayers and not cut emissions.
Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Russel Norman, in an article headlined “Predatory delay on climate action by Fonterra, DairyNZ and Federated Farmers”, notes the sector has had two options. It could invest heavily in methods to cut emissions or it could lobby to prevent regulatory measures that would require it to do so. It has long preferred the latter.
While this has made life easier for farmers in the short term, it has delayed the transformation that Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scientists are calling for: a change in land-use practices and a shift to plant-based diets.
In his book, Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet, author George Monbiot notes that precision fermentation is at the centre of a food revolution that threatens redundancy for animal protein as an ingredient in processed foods. It is also helping to improve the quality of plant-based alternatives.
What happens if demand for our milk powder shipped overseas dries up? It won’t just be livestock farmers who suffer. Monbiot says our move to a new food future – for the sake of the climate and communities – should be swift and just.
If this all seems a bit much, consider Canada. Through eight revisions of its food guide over the years, milk, meat, fish, eggs and cheese were prominent. This changed with a 2019 revision.
Canadian health authorities now encourage a whole-food, plant-based diet. Its guide for healthy eating includes three simple rules and the advisory: “Choose protein foods that come from plants more often”. Milk is not included in the guide, nor is cheese.
By contrast, our own Ministry of Health’s food guidelines have one category that includes legumes and seeds, but this also specifically lists fish, seafood, eggs, poultry and/or lean red meat. “Milk and milk products” feature in a category of their own.
Gord Stewart.
The world is changing and if we were to follow Canada’s lead, it would be out with Beef+Lamb New Zealand and DairyNZ and in with Broccoli+Carrots New Zealand and CauliflowerNZ. Regenerative farming practices, diversification, and conversions from livestock to plant-based agriculture are steps in the right direction. But all these need to be done on a grand scale and at pace.
Yet the predatory delay continues. When the recently-floated idea of a fertiliser tax was opposed by the primary sector, the Government acquiesced. The National Party’s proposal for a further five-year delay (to 2030) before having to pay for its emissions was warmly welcomed by the sector. Meanwhile, the Government seems content to discuss minuscule, incremental change, through He Waka Eke Noa, when a transformative change in farming is what’s needed.
I was thinking about all of this at a recent School Strike 4 Climate. I went along with two friends to support the “kids”.
We assembled in the town square. We walked as a group around several city blocks. The students carried placards. We chanted. We stopped for red lights. We enjoyed support from passing motorists. After the walk, speeches from the young leaders were heartfelt and hopeful.
Greta Thunberg got the student thing going in August 2018. Her solo strikes outside the Swedish Parliament called for stronger action on climate change and spawned the worldwide “Fridays for Future” movement.
But surely this isn’t how young people should have to spend a sunny Friday afternoon. Talk about a stolen childhood. They deserve better.
Gord Stewart is a sustainability consultant with a background in environmental management and economics.
