Todd Charteris: Rabobank NZ CEO urges farmers to keep up with emissions mitigation efforts

Despite the regulations on farmers being modified or scrapped by the coalition Government, Rabobank's CEO is urging farmers to watch their emissions.

According to a new Rabobank research paper, the agriculture sector still needs to focus on reducing their output without restrictions. 

Rabobank CEO Todd Charteris says the sector needs to keep moving forward.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now Rabobank is warning farmers not to take their foot
off the gas pedal when it comes to cutting down
on their carbon emissions. The new coalition government has stopped
agriculture from going into the ets scrabbed scrapped here waker
Echonoa as well. But according to the new rubber Bank
white paper that was released today, this is just a
breather and the agricultural sector still needs to focus on
improving its emissions efficiently. Todd charteris is Rubbobank New Zealand

(00:21):
CEO and with us now, hey Todd, good.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Here, how are you well?

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Thank you? So just to breather, because the market pressures still.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Exist, Yeah, absolutely. I mean I think some of the
changes certainly by this new government have been well received,
certainly by farmers and growers, and that's great. But I
think the voices from our customers offshore remain the same,
and so I think we need to maintain that position
and keep moving forward, you know, like our farmers have
been doing for a long time. So let's just keep

(00:49):
staying at the top of the queue, so to speak.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
How much of the pressures that are still existing are
regulations and governments and trade agreements and politicians rather than
actual consumers.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah. Look, I think that's a good question. I mean,
certainly the customers, which you know, when I talk about customers,
we're talking about our large retail companies offshore, our large
food companies, and so the pressure is coming from men.
They've all made commitments to scope through reductions, so that's
where a lot of it's coming from. But it's also
baked in, as you say, to some of our trade agreements,

(01:21):
and we need to be aware of that and understand
what the implications of that are if we can't meet that.
So we just need to keep the progress going. I
think the good thing as industry has the opportunity to
determine what that looks like, and I think that's encouraging.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Yeah, are the pressures, like what exactly are we talking about?
Are we talking about pressure to be the most efficient
or in the world, or are we talking about pressure
to bring down emissions from where they are now or
to meet the Powers agreement or what?

Speaker 2 (01:52):
Well, I think it's accommodation. I mean, I think, you know,
the challenge global is to produce more food using less
natural resources, and so if New Zealand can maintain this position,
a sort of world renowned. Is one of them more efficient,
if not the efficient food producer, then I think if
we can continue to maintain that position, that's positive for

(02:13):
us in those export markets, to maintain market access and
essentially be the front of the queue when we're selling
their products to the world.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
We are the front of the queue, aren't we. I
mean the only thing that risks us not being the
front of the queue at the moment is that there's
technologies like I don't know, hey, that you lay out
in a barn, which we wouldn't really use because we
don't really barn feed, and we might get bumped off
the perch by technology, right, that's the risk that we face.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Oh, look, I think there's technologies that are evoked. Well,
I know there's technologies that are available in other markets.
We can have to take complacent and we need to
continue to invest in research and development which is going on.
We need to continue to innovate and in history sharn
that their farmers and glowers are fantastic at that and
as industry we just need to support it and keep

(02:58):
moving it forward regardless of regulation.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Do you reckon the methane review is a good idea?

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Oh, look, I think it is because it'll bring certainty
and remove some of the some of the discussion and noise.
I think so, so bring certainty to that is positive
and then we can move forward on whatever that outcome is.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
Are you at the Primary Industry Awards tonight?

Speaker 2 (03:20):
I am. I'm about to attend that. So it's been
a busy day here and looking forward to the awards.
Or it's great to celebrate great people out there in
the marketplace.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
Deal thinks, what are you wearing? Because Jamie McKay was
just on before he's not wearing a bow tie or
a tie. He's going like open neck. Are you doing that?

Speaker 2 (03:37):
I'm going with a tie, but it's not a bow tie.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
Okay. Can you do me a favor and go to
Jamie mackay and tell him he's a disgrace for not
even trying.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
Oh look, I'll pass some comments on here that I'm
not sure I'll call them a disgrace.

Speaker 1 (03:48):
Use your own words, Todd. I mean, feel free to
make it like expletive, lad, and if you want.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
To, I'll have a quiet word to him on your behavior.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
I appreciate it. Good on you, Todd, Thank you very much.
Todd Chater. It's Rabobank Newsland CEO. I mean, why wouldn't
you take the opportunity to swear at Jamie Mackay when
no one's listening. I would for more from hither duplessy
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