New Zealand farmers worry about carbon pricing that could destroy their agribusinesses – Is there a pace to that?

Essays by Eric Worrall

… But everyone should eat more plants anyway.

New Zealand farmers worry about ‘carbon leaks’ if they have to pay for emissions, but they can benefit by being in the long game

Published: April 12, 2023 5:29 a.m. AEST

Anita WrefordProfessor of Applied Economics, University of Lincoln, New Zealand
John Tobias SaundersResearch Officer, Lincoln University, New Zealand
meike guentherResearch Officer, Lincoln University, New Zealand

…

New Zealand was indeed the first country to investigate the pricing of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

New Zealand – dubbed the Saudi Arabia of dairy because of its dominant role in the global dairy trade – wants its farmers to pay the world’s first tax on agricultural emissions by 2025 to help reduce their footprint. climate footing of agriculture. https://t.co/JS4Qm4YyEU

– The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 3, 2023

most recent suggested price would require farmers to pay a tax on their agricultural emissions. To begin with, only 5% of emissions will be priced, with proposals to gradually reduce 95% of the free allocation over time.

…

But Aotearoa was already one of those The most efficient producer meat and dairy products globally. If we reduce emissions here, will that simply lead to other less efficient countries continuing to lose production, while our farmers pay the price?

This idea is known as “carbon leakage” and is often used as an argument against any domestic policy that could lead to a reduction in agricultural output. This issue is important because New Zealand relies heavily on agricultural exports. By 2022, of all commodity transactions, 65% are agricultural goods.

…

This shows Leakage may occurwith a reduction in New Zealand’s dairy product production. But global meat and dairy production in 2050 would be significantly lower than in the absence of this policy, which would have an overall positive impact on the climate.

…

Read more: https://theconversation.com/nz-farmers-worry-about-carbon-leakage-if-they-have-to-pay-for-emissions-but-they-could-benefit-from- Playing-the-long- game-202839

What can I say – socialists, green or otherwise. Always look down on farmers – impoverish and destroy agricultural enterprises because it serves some higher social goal, like forcing more collectivization on the land Kulakor because making food production more difficult has an “overall positive impact on climate”.

They are always looking for ways to mess up food production.

There is nothing inevitable about all of us switching to a plant-based diet.

Mass vegetarianism would be a death sentence for millions. Many people, myself included, have a metabolism that can’t cope with a diet rich in carbohydrates and vegetables, we have to eat a lot of meat. Only by switching to a very high protein diet can I control my weight and regain my health. I’m not alone – my doctor and friends put me on a diet with the advice “meat is your friend”.

So what happens to New Zealand if meat production is shut down due to a carbon tax?

I would say they are simply importing meat, but importing meat implies an active export economy, to earn the foreign currency needed to pay for imported meat. All of New Zealand’s export businesses are being affected by this carbon tax frenzy.

If this frenetic anti-business atmosphere continues, soon New Zealand’s only viable foreign exchange revenue will be from high-margin businesses, such as technology services. information abroad or offer sex tours to wealthy Asians. And even those economic activities will be hit hard by New Zealand’s new carbon tax.