Charging an emission tax on food production is just plain dumb

Is taxing our farmers out of business really necessary, asks Helen Craig. Photo / 123rf

The Paris Agreement signed by New Zealand and most of the world clearly states that measures to mitigate climate change should not impact on food production.

I believe the Government's proposed tax on farm greenhouse gas emissions will hugely impact food production here and make our food more expensive.

This proposed tax is structured so the farms with the lowest impact on climate change will convert to forestry. The tax is pricing all animal methane emissions despite them not contributing to any additional warming. This is appalling legislation, targeting the wrong emitters and has long-term devastating effects on our provincial areas and will not reduce overall emissions.

Converting existing food-producing farms to forests is already extremely attractive due to the high value of carbon farming, which is the income from growing forests, without even cutting down a tree.

Every farmer is now looking at this option seriously due to higher returns than traditional farming products. This is leading to an accelerated planting of our food-producing land into forests which will affect food production for local consumption and export.

Existing animal product farmers will have to pay the animals emissions tax in addition to all their other rising costs — and this cost will need to be passed to consumers, meaning our food and animal-related product prices will rise further. On top of extreme inflation sweeping New Zealand, this is another impact on poverty.

As more farms convert to forests, there will be fewer people living on farms and rural schools will close and other local services reduce. There will be big reductions in the need for animal veterinarians, stock and station agents (who trade animals and farm product), suppliers of fertilisers, pest eradication and animal care, aerial spraying — the list goes on.

Fewer animals producing wool, pelts and leather. This means fewer jobs and threatens the viability of our tannery and freezing works and less demand for services in our towns including all flow-on businesses like supermarkets and including professionals like accountants and lawyers. Our provincial populations will reduce, along with well-paid staff in the above businesses.

The Manawatū-Whanganui region has the highest stock numbers in New Zealand! As a champion of our town centre, and a councillor promoting our wellbeing as a community, I'm extremely concerned at this very real threat to Whanganui's future and every other rurally based community in New Zealand.

This is not idle pondering of the impact of the emissions tax and emissions trading scheme. Practically every other commentator I've read since the announcement has not supported the charge on food farmers.

Climate change is real and as a country we need to take immediate action, but charging food farmers is not the right action. People's insatiable demand for consumable products they do not need is causing climate change. Let's tax the hell out of these stupid products.

We are the most efficient supplier of animal products in the world plus stock numbers have dramatically fallen in New Zealand for years*1. Therefore, total emissions from this source have fallen and our farmers no longer contribute to rising greenhouse gas levels*2.

If we don't produce meat and milk, other countries will, and less efficiently, so what are we achieving here on a global scale — and it's only the global emissions that count in climate change.

As if this isn't enough, farmers don't receive any recognition of the acres naturally in native bush or shelter belts that sequester carbon. Many will say farmers should do their bit to reduce emissions. They are — they are growing trees, grass, and animal products like wool and pelts that are biodegradable products used in manufacture — a fabulous alternative to high emission producing and polluting plastic products and synthetic carpets, etc.

The proposed tax is a world first — that's right — no other country in the world is doing it. I wonder why that is?

I'd ask every single citizen of New Zealand to stand up next to our farmers and say NO to the proposed emissions tax on our farms. Please make a submission before November 18 2022 on this link. It's all our responsibility to speak out against this nonsense.
https://consult.environment.govt.nz/climate/agriculture-emissions-and-pricing/

Helen Craig is deputy mayor and a fourth term Whanganui District councillor.
She is a shareholder in a family sheep and beef station near Whanganui.

*1 https://www.ehinz.ac.nz/assets/Factsheets/Released-2021/Livestock-Numbers-Density-2021.pdf
Total NZ livestock numbers declined by 27 per cent between 2002-2020. Dairy cattle increased 20 per cent but this is offset by decreases of sheep by 34 per cent, deer by 50 per cent, beef cattle by 13.5 per cent. Sheep outnumber all other livestock types by 3 to 1.
The Manawatuū-Whanganui region has the greatest concentration of livestock, possessing 403.2 animals per square kilometre of farmland.
*2 https://environment.govt.nz/guides/methane-and-other-major-greenhouse-gases/#biogenic-methane
Animal "Methane is a short-lived greenhouse gas ... once in equilibrium, it can continue being emitted at a stable rate without increasing its concentration in the atmosphere.
"Fossil methanes stay in the atmosphere for hundreds to thousands of years. This means further emissions will increase its concentration in the atmosphere."