Sustainability success can't hide woes
Milk processor Synlait claims that despite a poor financial result, it delivered several sustainability successes in the last financial year.
Hokitika-based Westland Milk Products says it has reduced coal consumption by 20% last season compared to the previous year.
The company, which is targeting carbon emissions reductions of 12.5% by 2025 and 25% by 2030, will now review those interim targets after achieving a total reduction of 11,000 MT of coal.
Westland chief executive Richard Wyeth says the reduction in coal use was a real company-wide achievement in the company's transition to a low-carbon future.
"After launching our sustainability strategy last year, we wanted to set realistic, achievable targets given the limited decarbonisation options open to us on the West Coast," says Wyeth.
"Our staff have really got behind our sustainability strategy and it's a stunning achievement to achieve these targets so quickly, however, we will continue to be realistic about our goals for the future," Wyeth said.
"While we are firmly committed to the 2037 decarbonisation target for industry, the technology to achieve this is currently not yet available.
"We have limited options to decarbonise energy-intensive food production on the West Coast with a conversion to biomass as a fuel currently not cost-effective and requiring four-times the supply chain emissions as coal."
Reductions in coal use had been achieved by retiring energy-intensive drying equipment, energy savings brought about by better management of winter maintenance work, and better production planning.
Co-investment alongside the Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry (GIDI) Fund to reduce emissions through heat loss is expected to drive further emissions reductions in the future.
Westland's first CSR strategy was released in November last year with its first full-year report of progress against the published initiatives due in 2023.
The result comes after Westland parent company Yili became the first Chinese food industry company to announce its roadmap to a net zero carbon future by 2050, setting targets for 2030, 2040 and 2050. The first Chinese food industry company to launch an annual carbon inventory, Yili has continued assessments for the past 12 years.
This year, Yili, one of the top five dairy companies in the world, established the first net-zero factory in China's food industry, the first net-zero milk in the country, and the first two "net zero factories" in the Chinese milk powder industry.
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
OPINION: Talking about plant-based food: “Chicken-free chicken” start-up Sunfed has had its valuation slashed to zero by major investor Blackbird…
OPINION: Synlait's financial woes won’t be going away anytime soon.