Sustainability
For more information contact:
Ashlin Chand
Introduction
Sustainability is at the core of the economic and social success of the sector. Our future is in selling safe, quality and environmentally sustainable products. Consequently, sustainability and the environment are key pillars of the Red Meat Sector Strategy 2020.
We are working to ensure a successful, resilient, and profitable sector through delivering on New Zealand’s climate change commitments and meeting increasing market demand for sustainable products.
As New Zealand’s largest manufacturing industry our members face a multitude of issues around ensuring sustainable, environmental practices. Environmental policies around water use, water quality, emissions and discharge of waste need to be science-based, and economically, socially and culturally sustainable.
New Zealand is the first country that seeks to do something serious and effective about agricultural greenhouse gases, so that’s why we advocate for credible, evidence-based policy and regulatory decisions on climate change and the environment. We work to have a seat at the table so that the sector has a voice and is heard by key decision-makers and policy-developers.
You can read more about the Making Meat Better Initiative here >
PROJECT:
LCA
In 2022 MIA and Beef + Lamb NZ commissioned AgResearch to research the greenhouse gas footprint of New Zealand reared red meat. The comprehensive study found that a kilo of New Zealand sheepmeat has a carbon footprint of just under 15 kilograms (kgs) of CO2 equivalent emissions per kilo. Meanwhile, the carbon footprint of New Zealand beef is just under 22kgs– making the country’s red meat among the most efficient in the world.
The researchers, which compared New Zealand’s on-farm emissions to a range of countries’ footprints across the globe, concluded that when New Zealand beef or sheepmeat is exported, the total carbon footprint is lower or very similar to domestically-produced red meat in those nations.
This is because New Zealand is so efficient at the farm level, which represents about 90-95% of the total carbon footprint. New Zealand’s on-farm footprint was about half the average of the other countries compared in the study.
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The sector’s sustainability story
Since 1990, the sector
has reduced its gross emissions by over
30 percent
while increasing productivity and efficiency
Processors are committed to reducing and eventually
eliminating the use of coal by 2037.
We are among the most
sustainable, climate neutral producers
of red meat in the world
New Zealand lamb is “carbon neutral” using GWP* and sequestration
New Zealand beef’s footprint is very low using GWP* – among the lowest in the world
From farm to table,
a kilogram of
New Zealand lamb has a carbon footprint of just under 15 kg of emissions
Meat processing activities
only contribute between 4-10% of the total carbon footprint of red meat
Our industry is taking steps to decarbonise by removing over 1.8 million tonnes of emissions – equivalent to taking 32,000 cars from our roads
Strategic priorities
MIA is focused on ensuring our members, and the sector, are well positioned to play their role in delivering on New Zealand’s climate change commitments and taking up the opportunity to meet increasing market demand for sustainable products. Consequently, there are several important streams of work:
- He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) – MIA is a part of the He Waka Eke Noa partnership to develop a pricing mechanism for agricultural emissions by 2025. Click on the Project Highlights below to access more information about the HWEN partnership and associated resources.
- Climate change strategy and action plan MIA is working with B+LNZ Ltd to develop a red meat sector climate change strategy and action plan. The strategy is under development but is intended to provide a framework to ensure that the sector is resilient and successful given the impacts of climate change. Click on the Project Highlights below to access more information about the climate change strategy and associated resources.
Know Your Number
By the end of 2022 all New Zealand farmers running 80ha or more will need to know their farm’s greenhouse gas emissions and have a plan to monitor and measure their emissions.
To assist all meat processors to encourage farmers to using a GHG calculation tool and to ‘know their number’, some supporting material has been developed.
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Know Your Number flyer
Latest Sustainability News
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MIA supports ETS, Pastoral Sector Group decision
The Meat Industry Association has welcomed the Government’s decision to…
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Agriculture central to NZ’s economic strategy
New Zealand’s red meat sector is calling on the future Government to put agriculture and the production and export of beef and lamb at the heart of a new economic strategy.
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Open letter to NZ Farmers regarding He Waka Eke Noa
New Zealand meat processors and exporters are committed to He…
Barriers to International Trade
Gain an in-depth understanding of the complex and evolving trade and tariff environment
thatNew Zealand’s red meat processors and marketers operate in when exporting to over 110 countries.