11. SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki - King Country) Link to this
to the Minister of Agriculture
What initiatives is the Government undertaking in the primary sector to address the challenges posed by food miles and carbon footprinting?
Hon DAVID CARTER (Minister of Agriculture) Link to this
Considerable Government work is under way to address the growing international demand for carbon footprinting for our primary products. At the heart of this is the New Zealand Greenhouse Gas Footprinting Strategy that takes a partnership approach to assist our primary sector to respond to increasing attention on the environmental impacts of production and consumption. It focuses on building capability domestically to measure and manage environmental performance, as well as driving efficiency right across the supply chain.
A lot. In coming weeks, both the kiwifruit and dairy sectors will announce the results of their studies into measuring the emission footprints of their products. This is a world first. I expect similar announcements through the year in relation to forestry, wine, lamb, beef, pipfruit, and many other primary products. Additionally, I will soon be announcing which university has successfully tendered for the inaugural Government-funded professorship in life cycle management in agriculture and forestry.