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Clean Streams sham shows need for dairy shift
Clean Streams sham shows need for dairy shift
Auckland
October 2 2008 – The failure of the Clean Streams Accord
shows the urgency of a shift to less intensive dairying in
New Zealand, says Greenpeace.
The Accord's failure has been outlined in a Forest and Bird/ Fish and Game report out today.
"The intensification of New Zealand's dairy sector is an environmental calamity and also our biggest contributor to global climate change," said Greenpeace Senior Climate Campaigner Simon Boxer, "This report reinforces the need to move to lower input, smarter farming practices that do less damage to the environment and climate."
One of the report's findings is lack of nutrient management on farms. Mr Boxer agreed chemical fertiliser use was out of control on New Zealand dairy farms- ruining waterways and damaging the climate.
"Emissions of nitrous oxide (a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than CO2 and largely the result of fertiliser use) now account for more than total road transport emissions.
"New Zealand farming is suffering from an addiction to chemical fertiliser. If our farmers continue on this path, they're essentially inviting consumers to reject their products."
He said it was an area that could easily be addressed. "Farmers should be using proven low-input systems that use no chemical nitrogen fertiliser; this not only has less of an environmental impact, but also helps improve returns to farmers.
"This was all outlined in a study by AgResearch , which shows that milk produced and delivered per cow per year was highest under the low input system."
"Consumers
in key overseas markets are becoming more concerned with
where their food comes from and the environmental and
climate impact of its production. Agriculture in New Zealand
must stay ahead of the game, and to do so, it must improve
its environmental performance.
Greenpeace is calling for
agriculture to be brought into the emissions trading scheme
before 2013, and for New Zealand to set an emissions
reduction target of 30 per cent by
2020.
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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