There is a disturbing article on page 12 of the NBR by Hugh Stringleman. People should read the whole article but in it Stringleman quotes a study by James Reeves a 2007 Kellogg rural scholar as concluding that "the change in target from Kyoto compliance to full carbon neutrality has negative consequences to the tune of $600 million on the sheep and beef sector....It would also fail to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, by driving relatively carbon-efficient New Zealand farming offshore to countries that do not have the same Kyoto policy frameworks". He concludes that "New Zealand could commit economic suicide in the name of climate change."
It will be interesting to see how MAF and the wider Government process reacts to this interesting study. Unfortunataly the study does not look at impacts on the even more important dairy sector.
