William Beetham
At the recent Federated Farmers Meat & Wool council many concerns were raised about He Waka Eke Noa, the pricing of agricultural emissions, and the subsequent impact on the sheep and beef industry.
He Waka Eke Noa is one challenge of many currently facing our rural communities. Federated Farmers policy is pricing should be at the margin of any additional warming, there must be a split gas approach that maintains no emissions leakage, supports the right behaviours, and be fair.
Within He Waka Eke Noa there are challenges to creating a fair system for extensive sheep and beef farming systems particularly if you pay the same price per kilo of emissions, but you earn a lot less per kilo of your emission. This pricing system clearly supports intensive farming systems over extensive which may be contradictory as it could be argued that the extensive system has a much lower environmental impact.
Ag emissions will be priced, but how to do this fairly and ensuring that we do not lose farms to land use change? It is a hard task for all involved. The ETS and the emissions reduction targets I would argue are the most damaging legislation - more so than He Waka Eke Noa. It’s important to look at the timeline:
After the signing of the Paris agreement agriculture was originally legislated to go into the ETS. Advocacy by the sector ensured the ETS option was sidelined, this was a big achievement.
Further advocacy by the sector then achieved legislation for a split gas approach which was a world first. The industry then achieved the ability to develop a pan-sector approach through the He Waka Eke Noa partnership, to ensure agriculture could lead the direction of its own destiny.
This is a journey that we’re only partway through, a journey that includes many mountains yet to climb and rivers yet to cross. It takes tenacity, leadership, and a focus on a distant destination that Feds policy position sets out while at the same time ensuring all survive the individual mountain climbs and river crossings.
It is a taxing journey, not in the least for those leading it. Spare a thought for our industry leaders who are doing the best they can with the resources they have.
Federated Farmers’ continued drive is to focus on leading the way to achieve the outcomes that are genuinely fair, follow clear and honest science, and don’t cause any emissions leakage.
There is not one person I have spoken to that wants to see sustainable sheep and beef farms and rural communities with thriving biodiversity to be run out of town through short-sightedness - Yet here we are facing the very real possibility of just that, broken communities.
And yet policy continues (mainly the ETS) to drive such outcomes against the wishes of rural communities, environmentalists, and many others who understand the true impact of these policies.
This is a tough mountain to climb but we’re making significant progress. We need to stick together, engage and support those cutting the track up and over the mountain because in doing so our commitment will create a thriving future for the next sheep and beef farming generation.Listen to this topic on FEDSVoice - click here to download
