Another poll of New Zealanders has shown opposition to taxing the greenhouse gas emissions of farmers and growers at farm level.
Survey results by Research First and Dynata, released earlier this month, showed 33% of respondents opposed emissions taxes on those who produce our food (26% supported, 30% were neutral). It’s not as if respondents were against the principle of taxing GHG emissions – 55% supported taxing industrial activities and 21% were in favour of them being applied to individuals at person or household level.
The finding backs up a Curia poll taken in October, which found 57% of the 500 randomly selected members of the public were against taxing animal methane before other countries. Asked if the policy should go ahead if it meant reducing food production or increasing global emissions (through ‘leakage’), Curia found support for pricing agricultural emissions dropped to less than a quarter.
Federated Farmers President Andrew Hoggard is not surprised by the two polls.
“I think it demonstrates a lack of enthusiasm for something that will inhibit food production here, at the risk of it shifting offshore and being done in countries with farming systems with a significantly heavier environmental footprint than ours,” Andrew said.
The Research First finding that did surprise him was that 42% thought farmers and growers should be able to offset the price they pay in any emission taxes through on-farm sequestration (21% opposed, 35% didn’t know).
“I would have thought that support would be 95-100%, to be brutally frank.
“It staggers me there wouldn’t be higher support given that people are concerned about climate change and we know that planting sequestering vegetation helps fight against it. Why wouldn’t you want farmers to be rewarded for doing those things?”
The government announced what appears to be something of a climb-down at Fieldays, talking about working with industry to come up with a strategy that allows recognition of “scientifically robust” sequestration.
“I think they’re realising they’ve been burning political capital on this, and a whole bunch of other issues, and now they’re dialling back,” Andrew said.
“But the devil is in the detail. It’s too early to say what this will actually mean for farmers.”
Two other recent surveys by Research First will also be of interest to farmers and growers. One, on freshwater quality, found that farming ranked fifth when respondents were asked to name what caused the most damage. The messaging from some lobby groups is that farming is the principal culprit but sewage/stormwater, hazardous chemicals, dumping of solid waste and industrial activities were ranked ahead of farming in the poll.
“Federated Farmers has consistently said our sector needs to continue its work on improving freshwater quality but that urban areas and other industries also have a role,” Andrew said. “I’m glad the public seems to recognise that too.”
Research First also surveyed people on what would be on their dinner table at Christmas. The findings – pork or ham (38%), chicken (20%), lamb (11%), turkey (7%) beef (5%) – shows meat is still a firm favourite and part of the Kiwi lifestyle. Plant-based meat alternatives drew 2% favour, just above sausages at 1%.
