Dear John --



Today National announced ourplanto reduce agricultural emissions <[link removed]> and meet our climate change targets while supporting our agricultural sector to succeed. 



Agriculture is the backbone of New Zealand’s economy, contributing 11 per cent of GDP, 13 per cent of employment and 81 per cent of goods exports. Our farmers are among the most competitive and carbon- efficient food producers in the world, feeding an estimated 40 million people worldwide.



Labour has failed to achieve anything in six years. Labour rejected He Waka Eke Noa, the industry’s proposal to reduce emissions, and instead proposed shutting down 20 per cent of sheep and beef farms, hitting farmers with a punitive fertiliser tax and sending production overseas to high emitting countries. 



National believes the solution to agricultural emissions is through technology, not by sacrificing our largest export sector or blanketing agricultural land in pine trees. 



National’s plan to reduce agricultural emissions: 



- Give farmers the tools they need to reduce emissions, such as gene edited crops, feed, and livestock, by lifting the effective ban on gene editing and genetic modification technologies.





- Implement a fair and sustainable pricing system for on-farm agricultural emissions by 2030 that reduces emissions without sending production overseas. An independent board will be established to implement the pricing system.





- Recognise on-farm sequestration, review methane targets and implement a split gas approach to keep agriculture out of the ETS.





- Limit the conversion of productive farmland to forestry for carbon farming purposes to protect local communities and food production.



New Zealand’s farmers are already among the world’s most efficient. Imagine if they could become even more productive. That would help grow New Zealand’s economy, so the country could afford more of the services we all want.



National gets it, and National backs farmers.



Read our full plan here <[link removed]>.



Todd McClay

National Party Spokesperson for Agriculture







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NZ National Party - 41 Pipitea St, Wellington 6011, New Zealand

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