It can often be useful to take a step back and get an holistic view of an issue that’s causing so much angst in our small country.
A few days ago United States President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act.
It includes plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.
Farmers there will get US$20 billion to help curb their emissions.
The United Kingdom plans to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 and its conservative-appointed food tsar says Britons must eat less meat in future.
Across the channel things are getting a little heated.
The Dutch government is facing farmer protests against its nitrate-reduction plan. Food producers from other member states are joining the outcry.
In regards to GHG emissions, the European Union has targeted a 30% reduction of methane by 2030.
In Ireland the reduction is targeted at 25%.
New Zealand’s goal? A methane reduction of 10% by 2030.
It can often seem that our food production sector is being singled out because of its oversized slice of NZ’s emissions pie.
But, the numbers show we’re actually part of a global push to make food more sustainable.
It won’t be easy, and it must be done in a way that sets farming up to flourish.
But you only have to look out the window today to know it’s unavoidable.
