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New Zealand farmers are also tired of change
Not only in the Netherlands, farmers feel, as in the nitrogen discussion, the constant pressure of having to change continuously to further green and sustainable business operations. The Dutch dairy farmer can shake hands with his colleague in New Zealand in that regard. There, too, farmers suffer from 'change fatigue'.
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The approximately 9.000 dairy farmers affiliated with Fonterra are waiting for the measures that the cooperative dairy giant will announce to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions on dairy farms. It is the next phase in a step-by-step plan that Fonterra has devised to make the dairy sector more sustainable, the website reports Stuff. Fonterra is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in New Zealand and is under pressure to become more sustainable. Not only from politics, but also from major customers and banks.
To this end, the dairy giant, the largest exporter of dairy products in the world, has developed a three-step plan. First, steps are taken to reduce emissions from dairy factories and transport; in the third phase, the emissions from the affiliated dairy farms are examined. Dairy farms account for 90% of total emissions. The farmers are now in the waiting room until Fonterra announces the measures they must comply with. This plan is expected soon.
Farmer struggles with high costs and increased regulations
John Stevenson, dairy farmer and chairman of a Fonterra advisory board, says that farmers are suffering from 'change fatigue' and that it is difficult to estimate how they will respond to future targets. He points out that Fonterra has already invested millions in sustainability initiatives in recent years. Such as innovations to reduce methane emissions through genetics, feed additives (including bovaer) and vaccines. “Farmers are already struggling with high costs and increased regulations.” Moreover, the expected announcement does not come at a convenient time: the cows on the farms are calving. "Dairy farmers do not have much time to properly understand the goals and see what this means for their company."
Charlotte Rutherford, sustainability director of Fonterra, has previously lifted the veil by indicating that the cooperative aims to reduce the amount of carbon per kilo of Milk solids (the milk component on which Fonterra's milk price is also paid, ed.). instead of setting absolute goals. Farmers are therefore encouraged to take measures on the farm to make milk production more efficient or to capture carbon. “That is crucial because an absolute target can be achieved quite quickly by reducing the number of cows.”