The Greens’ inherent dislike of commercial agriculture is apparent in their determination to take a big stick to farmers over their greenhouse gas emissions. While Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton is a pragmatist who recognises how vital farming is to NZ’s economic survival, the Greens appear not to realise or care how devastating the imposition of emissions caps would be on agriculture.

Greens Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons is now railing against a “backroom deal” between the Govt and farmers to further soften the blow of emissions reduction on agriculture. Fitzsimons notes the 2004 agreement between the Govt and the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Consortium included a commitment farmers would voluntarily reduce emissions by 20% by 2013. In return, the Govt agreed not to charge farmers for emissions until 2013.

But the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Consortium’s latest report shows this target has dropped to 10% and the Govt appears to have sanctioned it. Climate Change Minister David Parker last week acknowledged in Parliament the farming sector would not reach the 20% reduction target. Furthermore, the Govt is now allowing agriculture to set “intensity-based” targets, where emissions are allowed to grow as the industry grows. This has angered Fitzsimons. She argues it is contrary to Govt policy as agreed by Cabinet and expressed in the Emissions Trading Scheme, which adopts absolute targets in line with the Kyoto Protocol.

The Greens continue to argue agriculture should come into the Emissions Trading Scheme in 2010. Fitzsimons says farmers now have as many options as the steel industry to reduce emissions and there is no longer any good reason to exempt agriculture from the ETS. She adds, “It’s time the sacred cow paid its way.” But a more appropriate analogy might be the goose which lays the golden egg. The Greens appear to want to kill it.

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