Farmers are still protesting a tax on cow burps and farts

controversial government action NZ on me Taxing greenhouse gas emissions through cattle burps and farts He still faces strong hostility from breeders, despite many changes.

This law has not yet been implemented, it aims to control it environmental footprint out of six million cows and 26 million sheep, by taxing methane and nitrous oxide emissions. It will be the first of its kind in the world. “Our common goal is to help farmers export more, reduce their emissions and ensure that our agricultural sector remains internationally competitive,” he said. Jacinda Ardern In a press release.

“Only New Zealand chose the punitive response”

“New Zealand is alone in choosing a punitive response,” New Zealand Farmers Federation President Andrew Hoggard criticized in a statement, adding that agricultural production was an “efficient” and “unsubsidized” sector. “

Under the first version of this plan, farmers would have to pay according to the emissions of their animals, which sent the New Zealand farming community into a frenzy and sparked protests in late October. The farmers had simply asked the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, to drop the tax, citing the risks of higher food prices.

One of the changes the government made on Wednesday includes the possibility of offsetting animal carbon emissions by developing forests on farms, in order to benefit from lower taxes.

Methane is less abundant and does not last as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, but it is a much stronger factor in climate change. Scientists estimate that this chemical compound is responsible for about 30% of global warming since the Industrial Revolution, although it only represents a fraction of greenhouse gas formation.