Government Finally Stops Wholesale Pine Conversion Of Productive Farmland

The Coalition Government’s new legislation to restrict farm conversions into pine for carbon farming is a welcome step towards protecting agriculture and rural communities from the existential threat of wholesale forestry conversion, Groundswell NZ co-founder Bryce McKenzie says.

“Restricting carbon farming forestry to 25% of a farm is a good step towards the Right Tree, Right Place principle, but it’s only a stopgap.”

“Every hectare of productive farmland lost to pine monoculture means jobs cut across the whole agriculture supply chain, hollowing out rural communities so jetsetters and the like can tick a feel-good offset box on a website.

“Under pressure from unworkable regulations, squeezed by uncompetitive banks and supermarkets, and facing an inflationary economy, many farmers have been forced to take the carbon farming way out the ETS has been pushing.

“Reduced food production in New Zealand means increased production by less efficient foreign farmers, raising global emissions, while questions keep mounting about how effective pine carbon farming really is.

“But until the Government fixes the root problems, like methane policy, rural banking rules, and the erosion of property rights, farmers will remain under pressure to walk away from food production,” says Mr McKenzie.

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