We are good at agriculture, and we can be proud of it
Prof. Derrick Moot, head of the Dryland Pastures Research team at Lincoln University and a keynote contributor to MakingMeatBetter.nz, gives his thoughts on the NZ farming industry.
Prof. Derrick Moot, head of the Dryland Pastures Research team at Lincoln University and a keynote contributor to MakingMeatBetter.nz, gives his thoughts on the NZ farming industry.
The adage ‘the consumer is king’ has never been more pertinent than it is today for New Zealand’s animal agriculture sector. What consumers think about our products, how they feel when they eat them, and their perceptions of how it’s produced, have become something of a national obsession.
After all, 40 per cent, or $17.4 billion worth of our annual export income, relies on global consumers continuing to place value on the animal-sourced products we produce – and preferably at a premium.
In this Covid-ravaged world, that export income has never been more important for Aotearoa.
This is why a website called MakingMeatBetter. nz has been developed by Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the Meat Industry Association. The premise of the site is simple: provide sciencebacked evidence to allow consumers to make an informed decision about the meat they eat.
The conversations around the sustainability of red meat – which is often dominated by issues and matters prevalent in the northern hemisphere – means it is important to contribute a New Zealand-centric explanation of how we produce our meat.
The fact is, our system is the ‘EV car model’ of farming. Very efficient at raising animals on pasture and converting inedible grass into high quality, nutrient-dense food.
A lot of this is down to generational farming knowledge, but more importantly, Kiwi farmers just happen to be extremely good at growing pastures based on grass.
New Zealand’s warm, temperate climates get plenty of rain (minimising the need for extracting water via irrigation) creating a nirvana for grass. This allows our animals to be living in their natural environment 365 days a year, keeping them healthy and happy.
What’s more, around 93 per cent of land used to graze cattle and sheep would not be suitable for producing any other food due to it being hill country.
Even on the 6-8 per cent of land in New Zealand that is suitable for cropping, animals are often integrated into mixed systems, creating a win-win, whereby the outputs of the animals (manure) can nourish the soil for the crops to grow and thrive.
Because of our low input systems, our carbon footprint per kilo of meat produced is also 50 per cent less than the global average. Not to mention the significant tracts of woody vegetation on our farms which are offsetting this carbon.
The United Nations is running the inaugural Food Systems Summit in September this year to address how 10 billion people come 2050 are going to be fed sustainably, where it is forecasted food production will need to increase by 70% to feed us all.
The summit is drawing on the input of global experts to identify game-changing solutions for the future of food production. It looks to help solve the challenges in sustainably nourishing the world.
Arguably, if the rest of the world were able to replicate the climate conditions New Zealand enjoys, our pasture-based systems would be the game-changing solution the world is looking for. It’s just a pity we can’t export our climate along with our meat.
Regardless, there’s a need to encourage our fellow Kiwis to know about our agricultural systems. It’s about reintroducing them to the food, where it comes from, and the people producing it.
A wonderful initiative called Open Farms is connecting more Kiwis to our food, its production and the people who passionately deliver it to us. It could be an opportunity to really get to know our farming industry.
Kiwis must realise there’s no us and them – farmers are part of New Zealand; an integral part of our country’s welfare. A cursory glance at the rest of the world and we’d recognise how lucky we are here in Aotearoa.
New Zealand is the only OECD country with its economy based on agricultural production. It’s something that we do really, really, well. New Zealand farmers are good at agriculture and Kiwis can be proud of it.
It’s time to head to MakingMeatBetter.nz and see for yourself how Kiwi beef and sheep farmers stack up, and what they are doing to continuously improve.