Hon Todd McClay
Minister of Agriculture

The Government is delivering on our Q4 commitment, restoring certainty and credibility to the agriculture sector by introducing a standardised, science-based method for measuring farm-level greenhouse gas emissions, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, today announced.

“Our farmers are some of the most carbon efficient food producers in the world, but they can’t manage what they can’t measure,” Mr McClay says.

“This standardised, science-based methodology is a first step at reducing complexity and ensuring farmers have access to tools they can trust, making it easier to understand and tackle on-farm emissions.”

“Currently, more than 10 calculators offer varying methods to estimate emissions. This is confusing and only adds administrative burden to our primary producers.

“This methodology, developed collaboratively with the sector ensures alignment across calculators, and includes key features such as:

• The use of farm-specific inputs like stock counts, supplementary feed, dairy production, fertilizer use, and farm region.
• An accessible, low-cost, and auditable design that uses data readily available to most farmers.
• Ongoing updates to incorporate advancements in science and technology, to ensure the method remains robust and relevant.

“This initiative is a direct response to sector demands for a transparent, reliable tool,” Mr McClay says.

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“To ensure New Zealand’s hard-working farmers remain world leaders in high-quality, safe, sustainable production, the Government has also invested $400 million over four years in emission-reducing technologies.

The Government is committed to working with farmers to meet obligations without closing down farms and sending jobs and production overseas.

For more information and access to the methodology, visit MPI’s website.

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