March 27, 2018

New Zealand's dairy industry close to becoming unsustainable
 

At the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Christchurch, New Zealand, a scientist pointed out that dairy production in the country may be reaching a stage where it is "probably not going to be suitable in the future," Newshub reported.  

120 renowned scientists were at the event, where IPCC's worldwide coalition of scientists and academics met to discuss solutions to climate change. This discourse would bring out "positive solutions" to improve New Zealand's farming systems, which scientists warned, have reached their limit, according to Anita Wreford, an associate professor of Lincoln University.

"I'm not saying (we) move away from dairy completely but I think we certainly need to look at other options. I think we need a mix of land use, more diversity in our landscapes, different types of products," Wreford said, adding that "there will always be a place for dairy production", which, even then, could become unsustainable in future.

She further highlighted New Zealand's strength in the efficiency and productivity of its agriculture sectors but also noted "environmental limits" affecting current practices in production.

"We need to think carefully about how we use our land not only for agriculture but for a variety of land uses, what types of things we are producing and (if) they are suited to the climate (today)," she commented.

For five days during the IPCC conference, scientists were drafting a report which will inform governments on how to best deal with climate change in the coming years.