Groundswell protest set for Thursday

The proposed plan, released last week, is currently in a consultation phase and would see farmers charged an emissions levy on a farm-level.

Previously, Groundswell have been vocal in their opposition to emissions pricing, even presenting an alternative to industry bodies’ He Waka Eke Noa plan. The Government, in making its emissions pricing plan, has taken several recommendations from the He Waka Eke Noa partnership’s plan.

In an email sent to members, Groundswell claims the plan would cut food production by up to 20% in some sectors.

“All this, while households across New Zealand pay more and more for food in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis,” the rural ginger group says.

They claim that emissions pricing will lead to food scarcity, higher food prices, “and even more productive farmland planted in pines, leaving our rural communities and rural businesses hanging by a thread”.

They claim the emissions pricing plan is in breach of the Paris Agreement which set a goal of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius.

The agreement states that countries must lower emissions “in a manner that does not threaten food production”, something Groundswell claims the Government has breached with the plan currently being consulted on.

“Recent polling shows that most New Zealanders oppose reducing herd sizes to meet emissions reduction targets. Now we can demonstrate that the majority cares deeply enough about it to protest in the streets.”

The nationwide protest is set for towns and cities across the country, with the group telling people to “Come by tractor, truck, ute, car, or on foot”.

The protest will take place at midday this Thursday, 20 October.