The National Government’s review of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) must take climate change seriously by making agriculture part of the discussion, and ensuring there is a meaningful price on carbon, the Green Party said today. Climate Change Issues Minister Tim Groser announced today that agriculture, which makes up 47 percent of New Zealand’s emissions, will be excluded in its review the ETS. “Agriculture must be part of the discussion, and its exclusion is at odds with the Prime Minister’s...

The National Government needs to investigate links between anti-biotic resistance and herbicides including the commonly used herbicide glyphosate after news that an anti-biotic resistant strain of campylobacter is now present in New Zealand, the Green Party said today. “Glypohosate, the active ingredient in Roundup weedkiller, is commonly sprayed on GE soy crops around the world. GE soy is widely used in chicken feed in New Zealand, yet herbicide residue levels are not tested for in animal feed. “University of Canterbury’s...

The National Government should ban the use of controversial pesticides called neonicotinoids after evidence has revealed that even at low doses they cause harm to bee populations, the Green Party said today. The comments come on the back of research published in Nature magazine, which confirmed even low doses of neonicotinoids (called neonics for short) affect bumble bees’ ability to forage and pollinate crops. “We’ve long known that neonics kill bees at high doses, but this is the first study...

Fonterra should follow the United Kingdom (UK) Government’s lead and phase out coal use instead of building new coal-fired milk drying plants, the Green Party said. The UK has announced that it will close all coal-fired electricity generation plants by 2025. Unless it takes action, Fonterra will by then be New Zealand’s largest user of coal after Genesis Energy stops burning coal in the Huntly power plant in 2018. “The UK has identified the need to stop burning coal and...

An international dairy report has shown Fonterra is adding little value to its dairy exports compared to European and Chinese dairy companies, exposing the weakness of the National Government’s volume-led dairy strategy, the Green Party said today. The International Farm Comparison Network's (IFCN) 2014 dairy company survey ranks the world’s largest milk processors in terms of milk volume collected and the estimated turnover per kg milk – a crude indicator of value creation. While Fonterra ranks second in the world...