Monday 26 September 2011

Agricultural Emissions Dialogue - About


This blog has been set up as a forum for discussing agriculture and greenhouse gas emissions with a New Zealand focus. Contributors from a variety of relevant backgrounds -  farming, industry, public policy, and science - will post regularly on a broad range of topics relevant to agricultural emissions. 

Much of the material for the blog will be contributed by members of the AgDialogue group. The AgDialogue group has been established with the aim of ensuring that agricultural emissions are addressed in New Zealand in a way that is robust, effective, efficient and fair. Participants include dairy and sheep and beef farmers, as well as individuals from agriculture support and leadership sectors, Iwi members, and people with expertise in national, regional and sectoral policy - groups as diverse as DairyNZ, Meat Industry Association, Local Government New Zealand, Greenpeace, the NZ Institute and The Morgan Foundation. Each meeting the group is joined by one to three additional participants with fresh perspectives – from sectors, from regional New Zealand, or national experts.

We think that dialogue between the different groups interested in agricultural emissions is essential. As a group, participants have the potential to see things that they could not have seen separately, and there is the potential for genuinely innovative thinking to emerge. The secret is to invite in and draw out the full depth of contributions that each participant brings, and to invest the time to allow the individuals and the group as a whole to develop new capabilities together.

This blog is an attempt to broaden the conversation further, and provide a space for people outside the AgDialogue group to join the conversation. We hope that you join in and contribute by using the comments section to share your own views, ideas and stories. If you have a specific topic that you would like to discuss please get in touch.