The dairy industry’s environmental footprint may have just got a lot deeper.
New research by Greenpeace suggests the dairy industry’s newfound love affair with palm kernel expeller is leading to a phenomenal increase in this country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Vanessa Atkinson, Climate Campaigner for Greenpeace in Auckland says this is the first time we’ve had a really transparent estimate of the carbon footprint of palm kernel.
“This report shows that the palm kernel imported in the last year for use on Fonterra dairy farms was responsible for up to 8.9 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s about 12 percent of all of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
Palm kernel is sourced from Indonesia and Malaysia and often grown on carbon-rich peatlands, or has rainforest cleared in order to grow it.
Palm kernel imports to New Zealand have risen 11-fold since 2005 and Greenpeace’s report says that palm kernel alone is responsible for 12 percent of New Zealand’s emissions.
Ms Atkinson says New Zealand’s access to valuable foreign markets may be under threat.
“We’re seeing a dramatic increase in concern about where consumer products are sourced from. We’re seeing major supermarkets like Tesco beginning to carbon footprint their products, and they were the first UK supermarket to carbon footprint their products.”
Federated Farmers says the report is just a lot of hot air. Dairy President Willy Leferink says if palm kernel expeller wasn’t used in the dairy industry it would simply be burnt.
“What are they on about? If they really wanted to do things they would go to the supermarket and say hey stop using palm oil. If you really want to make a difference go and see China or India who have put huge future orders on palm oil to make sure their population doesn’t revolt.”
But Ms Atkinson says this is not true.
“I think that the relevant point for New Zealand farmers and for the New Zealand government is that however you cut it, whatever you call it, this report proves that palm kernel comes with a massive climate footprint.”
