Rabobank has released white paper outlining key actions to help guide New Zealand’s food production as it faces challenges around climate change and food security.
Among the conclusions of “Steering into the food transition” is that we need to feed more people while cutting back on emissions.
The global population is projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, while at the same time there is scientific and political consensus that global warming must be contained to 1.5°C.
Food producers will have to balance both challenges.
NZ farmers and growers are in a strong position to set the standard for the rest of the world, the paper argues.
“We already have relatively low emissions profiles per kilogram of food production and are starting to make further inroads. Our biggest emitter, the dairy sector, is the most carbon-efficient in the world,” it says.
Historically, NZ agriculture is innovative and adaptive when presented with a problem and given the time and resources to solve it, the report says.
Reducing emissions is challenging but possible with the right strategies, actions and commitment.
“By moving, over time, towards a combination of high-efficiency production, healthy and plant-richer diets and reduced waste, we can get across the line with room to spare,” the paper says.
It recommended taking a “swarm” approach to innovation on farm, off farm and system-wide to move the worst performers towards the best performers.
Precision agriculture needs to be embraced and unnecessary food waste tackled.
“Food waste is a major source of emissions, both at the consumption stage and from producing and distributing the food. In New Zealand, households throw away an average of 86kg of food waste each year, with an economic value of some $3.1 billion,” it says.
Biodiversity also must be built while engaging in responsible offsetting. Forestry cannot be allowed to eat into broad swathes of productive farmland, but it does have a strong complementary role.
Steering the food transition is also better than having it imposed. It is up to the food and agriculture sector to help steer the transition. Doing nothing will see the planet reach a 2°C warming threshold from agriculture alone.
“Retailers, consumers, competitors and regulators will impose their solutions on us if we don’t get ahead of the curve,” the paper says.
For its part, the NZ government needs to create an environment where research and innovation can thrive.
This includes providing both financial support and, more importantly, a regulatory environment that encourages research into innovative solutions.
“Without this, research will stall and NZ will be at a relative disadvantage to our competitors,” the report says.
