Our Environmental Story
Our sector is a leader in environmental sustainability.
The New Zealand sheep and beef sector is widely recognised as having one of the most environmentally sustainable production systems in the world.
Since 1990, the value of our exports have doubled while at the same time the sector has halved the number animals needing to be farmed. This is a story of efficiency gain and value adding.
We know that more needs to be done to improve the environment and our farmers are committed to that, but we need the right policy settings to support and enable this.
Climate change
Our sector is committed to playing its part in addressing climate change.
Through He Waka Eke Noa and the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium, we are investing heavily in technologies to reduce emissions.
Since 1990, the sheep and beef sector has reduced its absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent, one of the few sectors within New Zealand to make this progress.
Of the remaining emissions, a significant proportion are being offset by the 1.4 million hectares of native forest and 180,000 hectares of pine plantation on our sheep and beef farms.
Our farmers are amongst the most carbon efficient in the world, with a footprint that is around half of the average globally. New research indicates our sheepmeat has arguably been climate neutral since 1990.
While further progress needs to be made, we are worried the current or proposed policies approach will put many sheep and beef farmers out of business.
Water
From a water perspective, we work within the limits of the land.
New Zealand sheep and beef production nitrogen leaching rates are on average the lowest of any form of food production.
The main potential water quality risks from sheep and beef production are e-coli; sediment; and phosphorus.
While there are still issues that need to be addressed, nearly every one of these indicators has been improving in the last 30 years.
Biodiversity
Indigenous biodiversity is hugely important to our farmers.
New Zealand sheep and beef farms are currently protecting the largest area of indigenous biodiversity outside of the Department of Conversation estate.
A quarter of New Zealand’s native vegetation is found on sheep and beef farms, covering 2.8 million hectares.
Much of this is regenerating native bush and the sector is committed to continuing to build the biodiversity on our farms.