A strong and diverse agricultural sector is an important part of an economically viable and environmentally sustainable Aotearoa New Zealand. Farmers who do the right thing by the environment should be recognised and rewarded.
Rural communities should be strengthened and enjoy high quality of life
- Rural communities should enjoy quality public services, including potable water, health care, education, justice, and broadband.
- The sale of rural property and farms should be restricted to New Zealand citizens and residents, with government discouraging absentee corporate ownership.
Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture should underpin Aotearoa New Zealand
- Our “clean, green” brand underpins our exports and our quality of life; it should be a reality by incentivising sustainable and ecological production practices.
- Government should facilitate a transition towards organic and regenerative farming, moving away from pesticides, herbicides, and industrial agriculture.
- Government should prioritise New Zealand-made produce. Trade agreements and overseas investment rules should not undercut local production and industry.
The sustainable use of rural land should be promoted
- The diversification and planting of forestry should be encouraged because of its important contributions to water quality, greenhouse gas sequestration, and economic success.
- Water and soil quality must be protected and government should not encourage large-scale irrigation and should limit urban sprawl.
Aotearoa New Zealand must be net carbon zero
- Government must support farmers and rural communities to work towards net zero emissions, recognising that some biological emissions will continue and these will need to be offset.
- The Green Party supports a fair and predictable price on all emissions, including methane. Revenue should be used to offset costs to consumers and fund low emissions alternatives.
- Biosecurity and freedom from genetic engineering are important for New Zealand’s success
Biosecurity should be based on a precautionary approach.
- Aotearoa New Zealand should maintain "zero" tolerance for all GE derived micro-organism, seed, plant, and animal imports.
- GE organisms must not be released outside of laboratories and any GE products must be clearly labelled.
