Reflecting on the Groundswell farmer protest, it was positive to see our industry come together to support one another and express a need for change.
I also loved hearing farmers were dropping into foodbanks on their travels and donating some farmer goodness; that’s just such great stuff to hear and a great outcome for the day.
There’s no doubt the protest arose out of frustration. Many farmers are feeling overwhelmed by too many regulations, coming in too fast. There is a lot to consider and often the timeframes are too short to allow meaningful consultation.
As farmers, we’d rather not get bogged in politics. We’d much rather look ahead at what we can do to continue running progressive, environmentally sustainable and successful businesses into the future.
We’re working to solve some of the key challenges now, so our children won’t have to face them in the future. That’s every parent’s wish. I know I want the best for my children, who are two, four and seven years old. They are our future.
A big challenge we want to get right is climate change. The urgency is there. I get that. The world has set targets and the climate is changing. We know it’s hugely important we play our part alongside other Kiwis.
Like other farmers, my husband Justin and I are working on adapting how we farm to reduce emissions. We are working hard on water quality initiatives to achieve the outcomes ahead of bottom limits and to meet our own aspirations.
We know it’s not only our family who will benefit but also our neighbours, our industry and ultimately New Zealand if we get this right.
As farmers, we all take accountability and responsibility very seriously and we know some bottom lines are needed, but too many changes all at once are impossible for anyone to live up to. It’s also frustrating that the solutions or technology to help meet some targets aren’t here yet. This adds to our uncertainty.
So, this is how many are feeling right now – we want to do the right thing for the environment but we need the rules to be practical and achievable and we want certainty.
It’s also clear we need more recognition for the work we’re already doing. We are the world’s lowest emission producer per unit of milk and we’re known for being sustainable. We are working hard on farms nationwide to look after the environment by planting millions of trees, reducing fertiliser use and creating farm environment plans (FEPs) to support positive environmental management.
So, let’s all stick together, work together and prosper together. But let’s also keep the rules sensible and ensure there aren’t too many changes that are impossible to meet and too many moving goalposts.
We can reach the environmental outcomes we all want without driving farmers to nationwide protests and, even more importantly, without driving farmers to walk off the land.
Who am I? Melissa Slattery is DairyNZ’s Dairy Environment Leaders chair and owns a dairy farm with Justin at Te Aroha in Waikato.
