Ryan Bridge: The dial has shifted in farming and emissions

I’ve been reflecting this Fieldays week on how much the dial has shifted in farming and emissions.

We had Chris Hipkins on the Herald Now programme Tuesday admit they essentially don’t currently have a policy in putting agriculture into the ETS. 

It was a signature policy platform under Ardern. We had to do it, they told us. It was immoral not to. 

Farmers had to pay a higher price, and who cares if it’s CO2 or methane, emissions are emissions. 

Labour’s now open to ditching that altogether and softening its tone on farmers.

This is happening for two reasons.

1. People are alive to the fact that without our strong agriculture export prices, our regions would feel a lot more our main centres right now: economically depressed and limping along. Actually, selling a bunch of stuff we already know how to do well is exactly what a small trading nation likes ours should be doing.

2. The Government has successfully changed the narrative on emissions, basically through repetition: our farmers are the most efficient in the world. The world demands meat and dairy.

If we cut back and burn the farmers, bite the hand that feeds our regional economies, somebody else meets that global demand with, you guessed it, higher emitting meat and dairy products. 

So for reasons of basic economics and political reality, the dial has been shifted in farming and emissions. 

Labour’s a little late to the party, but at least acknowledging the landscape has well and truly changed. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I've been reflecting this field Day's week on how much
the dial has shifted on farming and emissions in this country.
We had Chris Hopkins on the Herald Now program on
Tuesday admitting that essentially they don't currently have a policy
on putting agriculture into the ets. It was a signature
policy platform under the Adourn government. We had to do it.

(00:23):
They told us it was a moral not to. Farmers
had to pay a higher price, and who cares if
its cotwo or is methane or whatever emissions or emissions.
Labour is now open to ditching that all together and
softening its tone on farmers. This is happening for two reasons. One,
people are alive to the fact that without our strong
agricultural export prices, and we're looking at this after six

(00:44):
this morning, our regions would feel a lot more like
our main centers right now, economically depressed and limping along
like the Art Tetty. Actually selling a bunch of stuff
we already know how to do well is exactly what
a small trading nation like ours should be doing. Number Two,
the government has successfully, i think changed the narrative on emissions,

(01:05):
basically through repetition. Our farmers are the most efficient in
the world. The world demands meat and dairy. They like
eating and drinking our stuff. If we cut back and
burn the farmers bite the hand that feeds our regional economies.
Someone else steps in to make that global demand and

(01:25):
you guessed it. Higher emitting meat and dairy products are
sold to the world. So, for reasons of basic economics
and political reality, the dials been shifted on farming and
emissions and labors. Well, a little late to the party,
but at least acknowledging the landscape has well and truly changed.

(01:46):
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