October 20, 2024 • 6 mins
One of New Zealand’s leading agricultural academics previews the United Nations’ biodiversity summit, which kicks off in Columbia tomorrow. She also discusses her latest column on how Kiwi dairy farmers can help the world’s biodiversity.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well in Columbia. Tomorrow the United Nations Biodiversity Summit kicks
off top sixteen. Here to chat about it is doctor
Jaquelin Arrawas, one of New Zealand's leading farming academics. Good afternoon, No,
there's a lot of chat around this, Jacqueline, because New
Zealand's one of eighty percent of countries that hasn't submitted
(00:21):
plans to halt and reverse biodiversity lost by twenty thirty.
Why is this an issue or not an issue?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, people make good statements, as they did in twenty
twenty two at the last cop saying what they will
do about it. But actually a good statement requires a
strategy to execute to actually achieve what the goals are.
And Ey has produced a document for the World Wide
(00:48):
Fund for Nature that saying these are the things we
could do, because everybody wants to make sure we don't
lose any more biodiversity. But they've pointed out it will
take quite a lot of money, and the implications of
what they say we could do, I think we're already
under the underweight doing them, and the balance of payments
(01:09):
is not yet good enough to be able to achieve more.
Comes down to the money rore. It always comes down
to the money.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Always comes down to the money or the economy. Look
at it as a conversation starter though.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yes, yes, and for that aspect it's absolutely great. But
I like the Global WWF report that came out slightly
earlier in the year, which is talking a bit more
normals in terms of what different countries can do, and
the global one said our biggest threat to biodiversity is
agricultural expansion. So what we need to do is optimize
(01:46):
the amount of food from a given amount of land
that is already under production. And this, of course is
what New Zealand's been trying to do for a very
long time. The sustainable intensification that Eui mentioned, and that's
where the use of precision agriculture to do with agrochemicals
which include nitrogen any fertilizer, irrigation, that is all part
(02:08):
of the sustainable intensification, which is why we've got few
greenhouse gases and low n nitrogen loss per kilo of
food produced. And that's actually what the world wants.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
And if you look at it also, I would have thought,
with an uneducated eye, Jacculin that we're not expanding our
farming here in New Zealand. If anything, it's contracting, and
that's why we're seeing the likes of the Smithfield plant
closing down. Yes.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Absolutely. One of the things that the EUI said, though,
I'll take you up on that you are not un educated.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
I'd get that past you.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Moving on. Yes, because of a forestation and one of
the EUI comments is that we should be looking at
more mixed farming. Well, it's quite actually quite difficult to
find a farm that isn't mixed in some way erroble
cropping people on the canterburry planes bring in dry stock.
The dry stock people have got forestry, and the dairy
(03:08):
people some of them have got forestry, but they've also
got cropping like maize. Agreed, it's cropping for the animals
rather than for food. But actually most of the arable
guys are doing animal fodder rather than directly human fodder.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Mixed already Jacklin, What does it say in this report
about nutrition? Is there any part of it that's trying
to determine what we should and shouldn't eat, because that
seems to be quite a common theme in some reports.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yes, yes, it's the Global WWF. One talks about fewer
animal products for developed countries and more for developing But
actually that's a bit missing the point about what creates
good nutrition. And as doctor Graham Coles, who's a nutrition
scientist was cropping food is now independent because he's of
(03:58):
a certain age, has calculated and there are publications that
are linked in the column that's saying, if we're looking
at the essential amino acids, how do we feed them
to their absolute nutritional needs, not wants or desires, their needs.
Dairy products fit best for essential amino acids, calcium and
(04:19):
lots of minerals and other nutrients. And that's worked from
the Redicant Institute at Massa University. So how can we
get it through to people that it's not just how
much food is the world producing, it's what good quality
that's the essential amino acids and where is it produced best? Lo,
it is New Zealand the most essential amino acids for
(04:41):
fewer screenhouse gases and least nitrogen loss.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Do you often wish that you could be at some
of these conferences, Jack, and just to argue some of
the resurrect that comes out in the discussion.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Oh, I think and also a lot of people go
with their speeches already written. Low. I think most of
the work actually happens in the back rooms. Could I
be there, well, it will be interesting, but it would.
I admire the people who go there and do all
the negotiations. But sometimes I think the negotiations and some
of them are hair tearing, and they take long hours
(05:16):
and all of those sorts of things. So thank you
to the people who are trying to do it, but
sometimes they don't realize what they've agreed to, which sounds good,
what that will actually mean back in the country from
which they've come. All farmers that I know that engage
with me are trying to do an ever better job
for the environment as well as their families. And doing
(05:38):
well for the families also means good for the economy. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Yeah, it's got to be a balancing x, because you
can't do good things if you can't afford to farm,
and if you can't afford to farm that year, all
of it it's all symbiotic, don't Jack will learn around
with your column is out on the Country co dot
z for a deeper dive into this topic. Thank you
so much for your time on the country today.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Lovely to talk to you aw thanks,
Well in Columbia. Tomorrow the United Nations Biodiversity Summit kicks
off top sixteen. Here to chat about it is doctor
Jaquelin Arrawas, one of New Zealand's leading farming academics. Good afternoon, No,
there's a lot of chat around this, Jacqueline, because New
Zealand's one of eighty percent of countries that hasn't submitted
(00:21):
plans to halt and reverse biodiversity lost by twenty thirty.
Why is this an issue or not an issue?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, people make good statements, as they did in twenty
twenty two at the last cop saying what they will
do about it. But actually a good statement requires a
strategy to execute to actually achieve what the goals are.
And Ey has produced a document for the World Wide
(00:48):
Fund for Nature that saying these are the things we
could do, because everybody wants to make sure we don't
lose any more biodiversity. But they've pointed out it will
take quite a lot of money, and the implications of
what they say we could do, I think we're already
under the underweight doing them, and the balance of payments
(01:09):
is not yet good enough to be able to achieve more.
Comes down to the money rore. It always comes down
to the money.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Always comes down to the money or the economy. Look
at it as a conversation starter though.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yes, yes, and for that aspect it's absolutely great. But
I like the Global WWF report that came out slightly
earlier in the year, which is talking a bit more
normals in terms of what different countries can do, and
the global one said our biggest threat to biodiversity is
agricultural expansion. So what we need to do is optimize
(01:46):
the amount of food from a given amount of land
that is already under production. And this, of course is
what New Zealand's been trying to do for a very
long time. The sustainable intensification that Eui mentioned, and that's
where the use of precision agriculture to do with agrochemicals
which include nitrogen any fertilizer, irrigation, that is all part
(02:08):
of the sustainable intensification, which is why we've got few
greenhouse gases and low n nitrogen loss per kilo of
food produced. And that's actually what the world wants.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
And if you look at it also, I would have thought,
with an uneducated eye, Jacculin that we're not expanding our
farming here in New Zealand. If anything, it's contracting, and
that's why we're seeing the likes of the Smithfield plant
closing down. Yes.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Absolutely. One of the things that the EUI said, though,
I'll take you up on that you are not un educated.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
I'd get that past you.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Moving on. Yes, because of a forestation and one of
the EUI comments is that we should be looking at
more mixed farming. Well, it's quite actually quite difficult to
find a farm that isn't mixed in some way erroble
cropping people on the canterburry planes bring in dry stock.
The dry stock people have got forestry, and the dairy
(03:08):
people some of them have got forestry, but they've also
got cropping like maize. Agreed, it's cropping for the animals
rather than for food. But actually most of the arable
guys are doing animal fodder rather than directly human fodder.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Mixed already Jacklin, What does it say in this report
about nutrition? Is there any part of it that's trying
to determine what we should and shouldn't eat, because that
seems to be quite a common theme in some reports.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yes, yes, it's the Global WWF. One talks about fewer
animal products for developed countries and more for developing But
actually that's a bit missing the point about what creates
good nutrition. And as doctor Graham Coles, who's a nutrition
scientist was cropping food is now independent because he's of
(03:58):
a certain age, has calculated and there are publications that
are linked in the column that's saying, if we're looking
at the essential amino acids, how do we feed them
to their absolute nutritional needs, not wants or desires, their needs.
Dairy products fit best for essential amino acids, calcium and
(04:19):
lots of minerals and other nutrients. And that's worked from
the Redicant Institute at Massa University. So how can we
get it through to people that it's not just how
much food is the world producing, it's what good quality
that's the essential amino acids and where is it produced best? Lo,
it is New Zealand the most essential amino acids for
(04:41):
fewer screenhouse gases and least nitrogen loss.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Do you often wish that you could be at some
of these conferences, Jack, and just to argue some of
the resurrect that comes out in the discussion.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Oh, I think and also a lot of people go
with their speeches already written. Low. I think most of
the work actually happens in the back rooms. Could I
be there, well, it will be interesting, but it would.
I admire the people who go there and do all
the negotiations. But sometimes I think the negotiations and some
of them are hair tearing, and they take long hours
(05:16):
and all of those sorts of things. So thank you
to the people who are trying to do it, but
sometimes they don't realize what they've agreed to, which sounds good,
what that will actually mean back in the country from
which they've come. All farmers that I know that engage
with me are trying to do an ever better job
for the environment as well as their families. And doing
(05:38):
well for the families also means good for the economy. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Yeah, it's got to be a balancing x, because you
can't do good things if you can't afford to farm,
and if you can't afford to farm that year, all
of it it's all symbiotic, don't Jack will learn around
with your column is out on the Country co dot
z for a deeper dive into this topic. Thank you
so much for your time on the country today.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Lovely to talk to you aw thanks,
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