Field Notes Issue 728

With the growing focus on GHG Emissions and Financed Emissions reporting, understanding how the measurement and reporting and data requirements is currently in focus for many organisations across all sectors.

The course is designed for those who are interested in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the measuring and reporting of an organisation’s GHG Emissions. These would include those within an organisation’s finance or sustainability reporting teams, investors, auditors, and directors wanting to understand the mechanics and data sources of GHG emissions accounting.

Presented by KPMG's GHG Accounting Advisory Services lead, Melinda Ponnampalam, the courses are instructor-led and delivered virtually, using a mix of presentations, case studies and exercises. 

To register, please visit the webpage.

In Aotearoa…

The pipfruit industry has launched a five-year, $1.5 million project to find more effective ways to control the native bronze beetle. Bronze beetle are a particular challenge for organic growers, damaging more than 25% of crops in organic orchards, and costing around $9 million annually. The project aims to create sustainable control options, including traps, pesticides, and endophyte grasses to manage this costly pest.

Rural Contractors NZ has launched a campaign to fight fatigue in the contracting industry. The campaign features a series of short videos educating contractors on managing fatigue while dealing with crop deadlines, weather challenges, and client expectations.

Taranaki farmers are participating in a diversification trial for the region through the "Branching Out" project, with the herb angelica. The land and value chain diversification project is showing promising results, highlighting Taranaki's suitability for angelica, which has applications in the gin, perfume and natural health industries. The project is demonstrating new income opportunities for farmers while complementing traditional land uses and adding value to the region through local processing.

A new online platform has been launched to connect food from regenerative farms with consumers. The initiative is part of Āta Regenerative‘s Regen to Market programme and will use the US-developed Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) system to verify products.

In international news...

Australian chickpea exporters are under pressure to ship their harvest to India before tariffs are reinstated at the end of March. Although India is the world’s largest consumer and producer of chickpeas, the country removed its 66% import tariff in May 2024 after weather caused the lowest local crop harvests in five years.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service is creating a research roadmap to tackle Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) challenges in agricultural soils and waters. PFAS are known as "forever chemicals," as they bioaccumulate in plants and animals without degrading naturally. The plan includes developing new detection methods, understanding PFAS movement in agricultural systems, and finding ways to eliminate these chemicals.

The state of Florida has allocated US$1 million (NZ$1.7 million) from the Florida Disaster Fund to help the commercial fisheries and aquaculture sector recover from the recent hurricanes. The funding is to rebuild critical waterside infrastructure including boat slips, docks, fish houses and aquaculture businesses.

Ireland’s Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action is recommending a new national programme to address food waste at the farm level. Currently farm-level waste amounts to 70,000 tonnes annually. The committee’s report suggests that an existing programme, FoodCloud Grower’s Project, provides the template for addressing food waste at the farm level. In 2023, FoodCloud redistributed 3,723 tonnes of farm-level surplus.

Startup unveils world's first potato thread used to produce sustainable, all-natural fabric — and it could transform the fashion industry [The Cool Down, 22 October]

A United Kingdom-based startup, Fibe, is repurposing potato waste to help make the fashion industry more sustainable. Fibe’s  proprietary, chemical-free process repurposes the usually discarded potato haulm (the plant stem) into yarn that consists of 75% cotton and 25% potato fibres. By utilising crop waste, water usage is reduced by 99.7% and carbon pollution by 82% compared to cotton. Fibe has raised approximately US$2.6 million (NZ$4.4 million) and plans to start trial production in 2025, with products launching in market by 2026. Original full article here

Tags: potatoes; waste; fibre; clothing; fashion; chemical-free

New molecule in New Zealand Blackcurrants inhibits an enzyme that degrades dopamine [Plant & Food Research, 22 October]

Researchers have discovered that consuming blackcurrant may positively contribute to mood and alleviate mental fatigue in healthy adults. The collaboration between food tech company, Ārepa, and Crown Research Institute Plant & Food Research, and Callaghan Innovation discovered that a bioactive compound in blackcurrants, sarmentosin, naturally inhibits monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B). MAO-B enzymes break down important brain chemicals such as dopamine, which are crucial for mood and mental performance. Ārepa has patented sarmentosin for use in products that improve mood and cognitive function, offering a natural alternative to synthetic MAO-B inhibitors without the side effects. Original full article here

Tags: blackcurrant; mood; fatigue; sarmentosin; MAO-B inhibitor

Germany, New Zealand launch ag GHG partnership [Farmers Weekly, 25 October] 

New Zealand and Germany announced a partnership to address global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions through the Alliance for the Climate - Dialogue on Climate and Agriculture between New Zealand and Germany (Agri-DENZ project). Through the Agri-DENZ project, both nations will collaborate by sharing resources, experience, and expertise to achieve better agricultural outcomes worldwide. The project will initially concentrate on food loss and waste, soil carbon, standardising greenhouse gas accounting tools, and developing farm-level emission mitigation strategies. Original full article here

Tags: greenhouse gas emissions; alliance; agriculture; food security

Pork producer invents alternative to farrowing crates for birthing pigs [ABC News, 26 October]

Australia's largest pork producer, Sun Pork, has developed "maternity rings" to replace farrowing crates. Farrowing crates limit sow movement to prevent piglet crushing while they are nursing, yet piglet mortality can still reach 20%. Sun Pork’s maternity rings allow sows to lie down without lying flat against the floor or pen walls, reducing the risk of crushing piglets. The device was developed with involvement from the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), who confirmed that the maternity ring adhered to all animal welfare standards, while remaining commercially viable for producers. Sun Pork has already installed the technology in nine farrowing houses, equating to over a thousand maternity rings within their business. Through a strategic partnership with Woolworths supermarkets, crate-free pork will debut to their shelves this month. Original full article here

Tags: pork; farrowing crates; maternity rings; technology; animal welfare; crate-free

Zespri confirms Producer Vote on expansion of Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) [Zespri, 24 October]

Zespri Group Limited are seeking grower approval for the expansion of offshore plantings in the northern hemisphere to increase global supply. Growers will vote on the allocation of up to 420 additional hectares of SunGold Kiwifruit per year over six years to expand the current Zespri Global Supply across Italy, France, Japan, Korea, and Greece. This counter-seasonal supply complements New Zealand's season, supporting Zespri to meet the market demand for year-round Zespri fruit. For the resolution to pass, it must receive support from at least 75 percent of participating producers, both by number and weighted production. Original full article here

Tags: kiwifruit; offshore; expansion; grower; vote; sungold