Farmers still lack fixes for emissions
New Zealand is punching above its weight in agricultural emissions research, but the science hasn’t yet spawned many practical solutions.
An independent review of the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC) found it was a world leader in emissions research.
However, almost a decade after it was set up, the centre hadn’t made a significant impact on emissions and was urged to pick up the pace on turning its science into practical solutions.
‘‘There is still a shortfall in feasible and practical mitigation options,’’ the review said. ‘‘This is recognised internationally as a scientifically challenging area for the agriculture sector.’’
The centre was launched in 2010 and is funded through the Primary Growth Partnership, with a $49 million investment in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions research over 10 years.
Nine years in, the review found the centre had developed approaches to current farming practices which would improve long-term efficiency but was yet to provide farmers with useful short-term mitigations.
‘‘Some approaches such as low greenhouse gas feeds and low methane sheep are nearing market-ready status, but others with potential high impact such as inhibitors and vaccines still have a way to go,’’ it said.
‘‘With Paris Agreement targets, new policies looming and increasing consumer and environmental pressure, there is a need for urgent acceleration of programmes if the New Zealand primary sector is to respond as required to remain viable in a low carbon world.’’
NZAGRC director Dr Harry Clark said the review had strongly endorsed the research programme’s performance to date. ‘‘New Zealand is a small country, but we punch above our weight in climate change-related agricultural research,’’ he said.
About half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, with methane from ruminant animals like sheep and cattle the biggest contributor.
DairyNZ is one of nine NZAGRC members representing research, development, education and industry.
Its leader of strategy investment for responsible dairy, David Burger, agreed there was an ongoing need for substantial investment in technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The focus needed to be on finding workable technological solutions well before 2050, and ideally by 2030, he said.
Research through the Biological Emissions Reference Group showed methane inhibitors suitable for New Zealand farming systems were highly likely to be available for farmers within that time, Burger said. ‘‘Within the next five years we expect to see methane inhibitors become available for farmers to add to feed while cows are in the milking sheds.
‘‘Although initial methane decreases will be modest, we expect to see reductions possibly rising to 30 per cent by 2030.’’
A slow-release version that would be more compatible with the New Zealand farming system was highly likely to be developed by 2050, and would achieve a 30 to 50 per cent reduction in methane, he said.
‘‘In the meantime, we are working closely with the agricultural sector and with our farmers on understanding options for greenhouse gas reduction.
‘‘There are options available to our farmers right now which, although limited, can help us reduce biological emissions by up to 10 per cent.’’
Those options were being tested through DairyNZ’s partner farm research and results would be released this month.
Ministry for Primary Industries sustainable resources manager Neil Williams said the challenge now would be ensuring New Zealand’s scientific excellence and leadership was supported while its research was put into practice, he said.
‘‘We continue to strive towards offering New Zealand farmers practical, cost-effective solutions to reduce their on-farm greenhouse gas emissions.’’
‘‘There is still a shortfall in feasible and practical mitigation options.’’ Review document