Phase out PKE as part of climate plan

The Green Party is calling on the Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor to phase out the use of the Palm Kernel Expeller (PKE) on farms to help address the climate crisis.

“Supplementary livestock feed like PKE is fuelling an increase in climate polluting emissions from agriculture. Labour needs to phase out its use as part of an ambitious plan to ensure agriculture contributes fully towards meeting our climate targets,” says Green Party Agriculture spokesperson Teanau Tuiono.

In an open letter published today, the Green Party says phasing out the use of PKE and Palm Kernel Meal will help cut emissions from agriculture and ensure Aotearoa is not linked to rainforest destruction overseas.

“Farming and growing well is more important than ever to help local communities and protect the climate. For decades, successive governments have treated farms like factories – and the use of PKE has made this much worse by encouraging dirty, intensive agriculture that harms the planet.

“Most New Zealanders would be surprised to learn that as a result of these big industrial processes, the milk they put on their cereal or in their morning cup of coffee is, in many cases, linked to the destruction of tropical forests. Forests that are home to unique and threatened species like the orangutan.

“But the use of PKE doesn’t just worsen the climate crisis through the destruction of rainforests to create palm plantations. It also provides cheap feed for intensive high-emission farming in Aotearoa. PKE enables big industrial farming companies to sustain higher numbers of cows than locally grown feed sources can provide for. Phasing out the use of PKE once and for all will be good for farmers, good for communities, and good for the planet.

“The Green Party has always put the protection of the climate and local communities first. Which is why today we are asking people to stand with us and urge the Government to phase out of the use of PKE.

“Now is not the time for half measures. Phasing out the use of PKE is exactly the type of action Labour Minsters needs to be taking to bring emissions down in line with what the science demands,” says Teanau Tuiono. 

ENDS

Latest Environment Announcements

Story

Green Party calls for stronger action by Auckland Council to protect urban trees and native forest

The Green Party is calling on Auckland Council to do more to protect urban trees and housing developer Aedifice Property Group to restore and repla...
Read More

Story

You *wood* not believe it: Greens secure win for urban trees

The Green Party’s advocacy has secured an amendment to the Natural and Built Environment Bill at a crucial stage of the Parliamentary process to en...
Read More

Story

Forestry sector must compensate for slash damage

The Green Party welcomes today’s release of the report of the Ministerial Inquiry into slash and sediment, and are clear that the forestry industry...
Read More

Story

Greens launch petition to protect conservation lands from mining by Mineralogy International Limited

The Green Party has today launched a petition calling for conservation land to be protected from mining by big overseas companies such as Mineralog...
Read More

Story

National's drought of ideas won't help farmers facing climate change

Christopher Luxon and the National Party have once again presented another lazy, back-of-the-napkin policy to Aotearoa.
Read More

Story

Freshwater crisis needs stronger government action

New Zealand’s rivers, lakes and freshwater are in crisis and there needs to be a more ambitious Government plan to clean them up and protect agains...
Read More

Latest Climate Change Announcements

Story

Green voice crucial for climate action

The Green Party is today welcoming Labour’s climate manifesto, but is clear that much more will need to be done to tackle the climate crisis.
Read More

Story

Climate future of communities on the line this election

Green Party co leader James Shaw attended a South Dunedin Future street meeting today to discuss local responses to climate change.
Read More

Story

National’s climate pledge a joke

Today’s pledge from the National Party to deliver net zero carbon by 2050 is a bad-faith, disingenuous, and empty promise.
Read More

Story

National needs to come clean about climate cuts

The National Party needs to come clean about the impact of its plan to raid the climate budget and cancel $2 billion of investment in action to cut...
Read More

Story

New $750m fund part of Climate-Safe Communities plan to protect towns and cities from flooding

The Green Party has today announced a Climate-Safe Communities plan to both cut emissions and protect our communities from the impact of climate ch...
Read More

Story

James Shaw - Climate Safe Communities Speech

A family whose home was flooded to the ceiling of the ground floor. The kitchen, dining and living rooms filled as completely as a fish-tank.
Read More

Latest Agriculture Announcements

Story

Cabinet’s emissions pricing plan leaves too much to chance

Only the Green Party has a plan to reduce agricultural emissions at the scale and pace needed. The Labour Cabinet’s plan for pricing agriculture em...
Read More

Story

Greens celebrate passing of Organic Products and Production Bill

Following decades of work by the Green Party alongside the organics sector, people will finally be able to be confident that products labelled orga...
Read More

Story

Report shows reducing actual farming emissions vital

Evidence shows that relying on offsets to reduce agriculture’s impact on the climate will not work, the Green Party says.
Read More

Story

Government handing Fonterra a free pass

Minister O’Connor should immediately pause the Government’s proposed Fonterra Bill and review its potential impact on the climate, the Green Party ...
Read More

Story

Pricing must cut agriculture emissions

Cutting climate pollution must be the number one priority for Cabinet when considering how it intends to price agricultural emissions, the Green Pa...
Read More

Story

Agricultural emissions proposal falls short

The He Waka Eke Noa agricultural emissions pricing proposal leaves more questions than answers, the Green Party says.
Read More