Pine Party Agriculture Plan
Agriculture is New Zealand’s greatest export (Ministry for Primary Industries, n.d.). This industry is critical to not only our country’s financial health but our sustainability as nearly half of New Zealand’s carbon emissions come from agriculture (Ministry for the Environment, 2022).
Our policy takes a sustainable farming approach to agriculture. Pine party believes that the future of New Zealand’s agriculture industry lies in the implementation of farms with a focus on sustainability. A huge part of this approach is dedicating a certain proportion of New Zealand land to solely plant based farming. Not only is plant based farming better for our planet, it also favours kiwis health and innovation, with partners from kiwi companies.
1. Support for Plant Based Farming
Plant based farming has a significantly lesser impact on the environment than traditional farming methods, saving water and reducing CO2 emissions (Hunter, 2021). Furthermore, people tend to eat more protein than what is recommended, therefore, plant based farming promotes healthier diets (Hunter, 2021). To support plant based farming, Pine party will subsidise plant based products, making them more affordable for kiwi consumers, as well as giving a proportion back to farmers as a rebate. We would also offer support for farmers who are willing to dedicate a proportion of their land to plant based farming.
2. Support for Sustainable Farming Innovation
Pine party are committed to not only supporting plant based farming but sustainable farming innovation. We recognise the need to adapt New Zealand agriculture to be more sustainable and we wish to support farms and innovators who are taking a step in the right direction. Our policy would commit to investing in sustainable farming technologies and research; such as Innovation Farms (Beef + Lamb New Zealand, n.d.) which focuses on financial stability. This plan aims to boost New Zealand agriculture and increase sustainability simultaneously.
3. Levy on Farm Pollution
Our party’s policy recognises that while fertiliser tax seems beneficial, fertiliser demand is rather inflexible, therefore, a tax doesn’t solve the issue of fertiliser use (Ecotec, 2001). However, we propose instead of taxing fertiliser use, to instead implement a levy on pollutant surplus as a result of inefficient fertiliser use; similar to what the Netherlands implemented in 1998 (Ecotec, 2001). This shifts the culture around fertiliser, focusing more on how to decrease runoff and pollution, rather than just focusing on expenditure. This is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 of responsible consumption and production.
References:
Beef + Lamb New Zealand. (n.d.). Innovation Farms. Beef + Lamb New Zealand. Retrieved 24 September 2022, from https://beeflambnz.com/your-levies-at-work/innovation-farms.
Ecotec. (2001). Study on the Economic and Environmental Implications of the Use of Environmental Taxes and Charges in the European Union and its Member States (pp. 150,151). Brussels: Ecotec.
Hunter, C. (2021). Embracing a plant-based diet. news.stanford.edu. Retrieved from https://news.stanford.edu/report/2021/05/06/embracing-plant-based-die
Ministry for Primary Industries. (n.d.). Exporting dairy. Mpi.govt.nz. Retrieved 22 September 2022, from https://www.mpi.govt.nz/export/food/dairy.
Ministry for the Environment. (2022). Agriculture emissions and climate change. environment.govt.nz. Retrieved from https://environment.govt.nz/facts-and-science/climate-change/agriculture-emissions-climate-change/.