The agriculture sector contributes 50 percent of Aotearoa's gross greenhouse gas emissions. Photo: RNZ / Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Agribusiness leaders have signed a memorandum of understanding with the government, as part of the new Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions.
Representatives from ANZCO Foods, Fonterra, Ngāi Tahu Holdings, Ravensdown, Silver Fern Farms and Synlait as well as the Ministry for Primary Industries have signed the agreement.
Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor said the four-year funding commitments showed the government and the primary sector's major players were committed to working together to slash emissions.
"It will be a 50-50 joint venture; we hope about $172 million will be spent where the industry works directly with government agencies and research agencies to discover, develop, and commercialise things that can reduce emissions, methane in particular, from our livestock system," he said.
"We are committed to reducing agricultural emissions and for this we need to get new tools and technology into the hands of farmers as soon as possible."
From left, Simon Limmer, Silver Fern Farms, Joel Gabites, ANZCO Foods, Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor (seated), Ray Smith, Ministry for Primary Industries, Miles Hurrell, Fonterra, (on screen) Dean Fraser, Ngāi Tahu, Garry Diack, Ravensdown. Photo: Supplied
The agriculture sector contributed 50 percent of Aotearoa's gross greenhouse gas emissions, and around 91 percent of the country's biogenic methane emissions.
O'Connor said the partnership would produce a mixture of tools to reduce emissions.
"From different feeds to reduce methane, identifying animals or bulls that are genetically prone to produce less methane, right through to working on the methanogens inside the rumen [stomach] of livestock in some offshore laboratories, all of this is part of the mix of technologies that are being developed.
"But they have to be adaptable and useful in the New Zealand environment, that's where we have to co-operate.
"New Zealand can be, and should be, a leader in developing innovative new tools and technologies to reduce emissions on-farm, and be the one other countries can look to."
He said industry funding would be matched by the government.
O'Connor said the agreement would move the sector closer to the government's goal of reaching a net-zero target for 2050.