National would take aim at GHG with GE

Neal Wallace POLITICS Technology

THE National Party’s policy making it easier to use genetic technology is also a key plank in its plans to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

The party’s agriculture spokesperson, Todd McClay, said removing the restrictions would give farmers the tools they need to reduce methane emissions such as geneedited crops, feed and livestock.

It would also ensure farmers have tools developed in New Zealand and abroad to meet emissions targets, such as methane inhibitors, animal vaccines, gene editedgrasses and animal feed, rather than reducing animal numbers.

McClay said in an interview that lower stock numbers and land conversion mean livestock farmers will come close to meeting their 30% reduction in methane by 2030 without an emissions tax.

“The sector is close to meet it 2030 methane target so why put a price on before that? It’s just a tax.”

Last Sunday the party’s science, innovation and technology spokesperson, Judith Collins, said markets are more receptive to products grown with genetic technology.

If elected the party will allow the use of gene editing (GE) and genetic modification (GM), albeit retaining restrictions for use on humans.

Collins said NZ has been left behind with its tight controls, with the technology used widely in China, Australia, Europe and North America. She said 2.7 billion hectares of land were planted in GE or GM crops between 1996 and 2019.

In contrast the NZ Environmental Protection Agency has approved fewer than 10 GE or GM products for release outside laboratories.

If elected, the party will establish a dedicated biotechnology regulator within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to oversee the technology and manage ethical concerns.

The party’s climate change policy proposes pricing on farm emissions by 2030 at the latest and a split gas approach, and still aims to reach net zero by 2050, but McClay said any shift to using GWP* to measure methane will be decided by a scientific board.

The policy also includes recognition of onfarm sequestration but keeping the sector out of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

The policy establishes an independent board, with a power of veto retained by the ministers of Climate Change and Agriculture, to implement a pricing system.

The policy includes rules limiting the wholesale conversion of productive farmland to exotic forestry including a three-year moratorium on whole-farm conversions to forestry on land classed LUC one to five. Farmers can plant up to 25% of their land in this class in forestry.

On LUC six it proposes setting an annual limit of 15,000ha for whole-farm conversions to exotic forestry that are registered for the ETS.

This will be reassessed every three years.

For LUC 7-8 land, no forestry limits will be introduced.

Acknowledging landowner property rights, McClay said the ETS carbon market has distorted land prices and means in some areas forestry generates more income than livestock.

McClay is confident urban people understand that farmers should not be taxed for methane when they do not have tools to reduce those emissions.

MITIGATION: The National Party says easing of restrictions on gene editing is key to mitigating greenhouse gases in agriculture.