It’s a busy time for Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and its partner organisations with 50 Greenhouse Gas Calculator and Action Plan workshops planned in just 30 days.
B+LNZ has joined forces with Silver Fern Farms, Alliance, Greenlea Premier Meats, ANZCO and Deer Industry New Zealand to deliver the workshops and reach as many farmers as possible throughout August.
Supporting farmers in knowing their greenhouse gas (GHG) numbers is part of the He Waka Eke Noa programme; the primary sector’s climate change commitment to measure, manage and reduce on-farm agriculture GHG emissions.
Farmers will need to know their farm’s annual GHG numbers by December 2022 and have a written plan in place for measuring and managing their emissions by January 2025.
The 50 workshops, from Northland to Southland, explain the importance of farmers knowing their GHG numbers and help them calculate their on-farm emissions using B+LNZ’s GHG Calculator. Farmers are also shown how to create GHG action plans suited to their farms.
B+LNZ’s Environment Integration Lead Sarah Crofoot says the workshops help farmers to build resilience into their businesses, while giving the public confidence that the sector is playing its part in addressing climate change.
“We understand that change is happening quickly, which can be overwhelming, but farmers knowing their on-farm emissions numbers provides an important platform for future decisions and understanding the impact of policy changes,” she says.
General Manager Livestock and Shareholder Services at Alliance Group Danny Hailes says the level of interest from farmers has been pleasing and a high turnout is expected for the flurry of workshops in August.
“It’s important that farmers know how to calculate their farm’s greenhouse gas emissions so they can make a plan to reduce them,” he says.
“These workshops provide farmers with advice and information to take that first step. As a 100 per cent farmer-owned co-operative, there has been strong interest in the workshops from our farmers and we encourage any farmer interested in knowing their number to head along.”
Te Ākau farmers Tommy and Lisette Wilson, who attended last week, felt the workshop explained the process clearly and delivered the information in a practical way.
“It was really informative, we found it relatable and practical. I think everyone learnt a lot from the workshop,” says Lisette.
You can keep an eye out for Greenhouse Gas Calculator and Action Plan workshops nearby at B+LNZ’s events calendar. Future workshops are planned to meet demand so you can reach out to your local B+LNZ extension manager if you are interested in attending and don’t see one coming up.
To find out more about the B+LNZ GHG Calculator go to: https://beeflambnz.com/ghg-calculator-info