New Zealand meat exporters support forestry changes

New Zealand’s red meat processing and exporting sector has welcomed rules to limit farm to forestry conversions entering the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

The Government has announced a range of farm to forestry policy changes including a moratorium on exotic forestry registrations for Land Use Classification (LUC) 1-5 actively farmed land and an annual registration cap of 15,000 hectares for exotic forestry registrations on LUC 6 farmland.

“The meat processing and exporting sector has been concerned for some time about the lack of limits on fossil fuel emitters offsetting their emissions by planting trees on productive land,” says Sirma Karapeeva, chief executive of the Meat Industry Association (MIA).

“We want to thank the Ministers and wider government for listening and responding to our concern that the current policy settings have been pushing more land into carbon farming. Safeguarding productive land for food production and food security is sensible and will also help ensure the viability of rural communities.

“The current carbon pricing and incentives favour forestry over other land uses, creating an economic imbalance. We have been advocating for policies that maintain a balance between environmental goals and agricultural productivity.

“The red meat sector is an economic powerhouse for the New Zealand economy, returning more than $11 billion in export revenue to the country, supporting approximately 92,000 jobs (5 percent of total national employment), and making a real difference to rural and regional communities.

“Pragmatic policy and regulatory settings are critical if we are to continue to lift productivity, foster innovation and produce world-class, sustainable and premium food.”