At a time when NZ’s emissions policies are under scrutiny and consumers increasingly look for low-carbon products, public confidence in farming’s emissions reduction progress is critical. A new survey shows what the public thinks.
Primary Purpose is an independent research agency specialising in public opinion and sector insights. They recently survey 1,077 New Zealanders to understand perceptions of farming and climate responsibility.
B+LNZ was not involved in the survey but we think it’s useful for farmers to know about public perceptions.
What the survey found
The survey found there’s public recognition of farmers’ efforts but some think there’s more work to do.
Almost half think farmers are doing well in managing emissions, with only 12 percent saying they’re doing poorly.
Nearly a third of New Zealanders believe farmers are doing more than other industries to reduce emissions, while almost half think the sector is doing about the same. Older New Zealanders are more likely to think farming is outperforming other sectors.
The public say it’s important that farmers act to reduce emissions, with younger people and urban residents placing more weight on this.
The public tends to see less responsibility for consumers around reducing climate emissions associated with food – rather, they see responsibility as being spread between farmers, government and the wider food system.
The survey shows the public isn’t ‘pointing the finger’ at farmers – rather, they want to see a collaborative approach.
What the results mean
Our sector has a great story to tell. Since 1990, gross greenhouse gas emissions from the sheep and beef sector have reduced by more than 32 percent and our farmers are actively offsetting a large share of remaining emissions through the carbon sequestration provided by native and exotic trees on sheep and beef farms.
We are also one of the most carbon-efficient producers in the world and are investing in technologies to further reduce our emissions.
It’s therefore encouraging to see in the results that the public has some understanding of this and recognises our sector has made a greater contribution to reducing New Zealand’s emissions than any other sector.
B+LNZ is working on a strategy to tell more great stories about our farmers’ care for the environment – keep an eye on e-diaries for more about this in the coming months.
We’ll also continue to push for fairer targets that recognise the relative warming impacts of gases.
More information
If you have any questions about the survey contact Marc Elliott at Primary Purpose: marc.elliott@primarypurpose.co.nz or 027 543 7165.
B+LNZ regularly works with Primary Purpose to gain insights from farmers and the public.