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12 Call for CCC to engage Vol 20 No 34, September 5, 2022
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NZ farms key to green food revolution Hugh Stringleman
NEWS
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Sustainability
EW Zealand’s agricultural and horticultural industries have huge potential to sustainably feed more people in the world, ANZ agricultural economist Susan Kilsby says. A global population forecast to approach 10 million people by 2050 is going to need 50%60% more food than is currently produced. Kilsby is the New Zealand contributor to a comprehensive insight report on food sustainability by ANZ bank for its clients here, in Australia and around the world. “Agriculture currently uses 40% of land and 70% of freshwater, and is responsible for 30% of global carbon emissions, so it is necessary to transform the sector to make it sustainable,” Kilsby said. “Just increasing food production is not a sustainable solution. “For food production to be sustainable other aspects need to be addressed, such as reducing food wastage via better supplychain management, changing our dietary mix, and adopting technology to drive efficiencies throughout the food production supply chain.” Surveys show that sustainability of food production is a priority with more and more consumers in
the developed world, and NZ needs to get recognition for what are already good practices. Rising incomes and changes in dietary preferences towards proteins and fruits will put further pressure on food producers, the ANZ report says. Expansion in food production over the past three decades to sustain the present population was achieved by expanding the area of irrigated land, converting forest to agricultural land, adopting new technologies, increasing mechanisation, using genetically modified seeds and very large increases in the use of fertiliser, pesticides and herbicides. “This has resulted in plentiful production but has come at a huge and unsustainable environmental cost to the planet.” Agriculture contributes nearly 45% of methane emissions, 80% of nitrous oxide emissions, and about 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions, via land-use change, farm-level production and the processing of agricultural products. Emissions are highly concentrated in methane from ruminant livestock, manure management and rice farming. Nitrous oxide emissions come primarily from fertiliser usage. The good news is that emissions per kilogram of production and per capita of producers have been falling. Continued page 5
Life’s no beach for coastal farmer Dairy farmer Owen Greig, pictured with grand-daughter Nellie Sarcich, is battling ponding on his already saturated property after yet more rain.
NEWS 5
Keeping a sharp eye out for health workers West Otago needs health professionals and Allister Body, the chair of West Otago Health, said they are constantly looking for the next employee.
PEOPLE 6 Head of MPI’s new farm support services says he’s not out to compete with rural professionals. NEWS 22
Te Kapunga Dewes is happy for iwi to take credit for forcing the exotic carbon forests issue. PEOPLE 39
Maize growers facing increasing production costs need to refine their production systems. TECHNOLOGY 42
NORTH ISLAND
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