New Zealand’s Livestock Emissions Tax: Farmers Outraged

In New Zealand, the government wants farmers to pay a tax on emissions from their livestock. This tax should contribute to the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 and a 10% reduction in methane emissions by 2030.

This sector of agriculture is responsible for more than half of the country’s emissions. This is mainly methane, a harmful greenhouse gas, released by farts, burps, and cattle feces.

The announcement angered New Zealand farmers who feared their businesses were in jeopardy. Stu Muir, 52, runs a dairy farm in the Aka Aka Hills in the Waikato region of New Zealand’s North Island. He is a fifth generation farmer in this region. Her ancestors arrived from Scotland in New Zealand at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

But Mr. Muir feared he might be the last professional farmer in his family: “The announcements made gave us a real morale boost. You can’t put people out of work that way.”

Demonstrations took place in several cities across the country. Farmers gathered to slow traffic on major urban highways and streets.

There are over 50,000 farms in New Zealand. Of the 5 million inhabitants, there are more than 10 million cows and 26 million sheep. This sector accounts for more than half of exports, with New Zealand being the world’s largest exporter of dairy products.