NZ’s Conventional Farming at Expense to Environment

23 March 2017

Media release for immediate release

NZ’s Conventional Farming at Expense to Environment No Surprise

The results of latest Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report come as no surprise to Commonsense Organics.

The country-specific report, released every 10 years, suggests that economic growth is occurring at cost to the environment and says that New Zealand’s environment and “green” reputation is at risk.

The report says that if economic growth took the cost of pollution abatement into consideration, New Zealand’s GDP would be in decline. It outlined the environmental impact of food production and intensification of farming.

Marion Wood, Executive Director of Commonsense Organics, says that this is not news to their local independent family business.

"Conventional farming does not price in the environmental costs of production,” Wood says. “We've been saying that for over 25 years. Some people say that organic food is more expensive than conventional food, but this is false accounting. Costs are just being transferred to other parts of our economy. Our agricultural exports are being subsidised by the taxpayer. This is particularly true of our carbon emissions which are not paid for by the agricultural sector even though they produce half our emissions.”

The report said that, “increased greenhouse gas emissions and waste generation, freshwater contamination and threats to biodiversity,” were signs that New Zealand's growth model was beginning to show its environmental limits.

“The OECD pointed to these warning signs in its last report, but our government appears to be stuck in a dying economic framework” says Wood.

References:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/90613205/new-zealand-showing-environmental-limits-oecd-says
http://www.oecd.org/environment/environmental-pressures-rising-in-new-zealand.htm

© Scoop Media