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Pedersen: NZ'ders should pay even more for food
Pedersen: NZ'ders should pay even more for food
Thursday,
26 June 2008, 9:47 am
Press Release: Federated
Farmers
Pedersen's parting shot: NZ'ders should pay even more for food
June 26 2008 – Auckland – At a time when New Zealanders are already struggling with soaring food prices, outgoing President of Federated Farmers Charlie Pederson is calling for them to fork out even more to pay for the agriculture sector's emissions.
Pedersen is calling for a "green tax" – or a charge on all food at the point of sale, which would help cover the cost to agriculture of proposed climate change legislation.
"Asking the taxpayer to pay more for food so the agriculture sector can continue with business as usual is going to leave a very bitter taste in New Zealanders' mouths," said Greenpeace Climate Campaigner Simon Boxer. "This is a blatant attempt to exempt the sector even further from taking responsibility for its emissions.
"New Zealanders are already covering 100 per cent of the cost of the sector's emissions under the emissions trading scheme (ETS) until 2013, and after that, 90 per cent of those emissions are covered by taxpayer subsidies until 2018. To ask for even more of a subsidy is an outcry."
The sector, which is responsible for half of all New Zealand's emissions, is already exempt from the government's proposed emissions trading scheme until 2013, care of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in 2004. And when it is brought it, 90 of its emissions are covered by free
Under the MOU, taxpayers cover the cost of its emissions until 2013 in exchange for a promise from the sector that it would do research aimed at reducing its emissions by 20% by the same year.
However, Greenpeace has revealed that the agriculture sector has no intention of delivering on its side of the bargain. (1) "Every time the agricultural industry wiggles out of paying for its pollution, New Zealander pick up the bill through their taxes. This is a huge equity issue, not to mention a huge issue for the environment. Until the sector is given an incentive to improve practices, the environment will continue to suffer, along with taxpayers."
Greenpeace is calling for the MOU to be torn up, and for agriculture to be brought into the ETS by or in 2010.
ENDS
Greenpeace
Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice.
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace.
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