- Farmers fear methane tools risk harming New Zealand’s natural meat and dairy product reputation.
- Most farmers believe reducing methane emissions won’t significantly influence global climate change at all.
- Farmers feel industry methane decisions are completely out of touch with grassroots agricultural values and needs.
A new independent survey has revealed almost unanimous opposition among New Zealand farmers to the use of biotech tools aimed at cutting methane emissions from livestock. The findings expose a serious rift between grassroots farmers and those shaping national emissions policies.
The survey, carried out by NZ Farming, Groundswell NZ and the Methane Science Accord, shows that 95% of farmers believe reducing methane from livestock won’t make a meaningful impact on global climate change. An equally high number—94%—say that such reductions should not be required for market access, and 93% have no intention of using methane inhibitors on their animals.
The data also shows strong resistance to the technology on a personal level, with 88% saying they wouldn’t consume meat or dairy from animals treated with methane-reducing products.
“There is growing unease about manipulating the gut microbiome of healthy animals. These interventions go against everything our farming systems stand for,” says Duncan Humm of NZ Farming. “How did we get this far down the track without consulting the very people expected to deliver these changes?”
Farmers are questioning why significant funding—hundreds of millions of dollars—has been invested in methane reduction technologies without adequate consultation. They are also asking why farming co-operatives joined climate initiatives such as AgriZero without seeking input from shareholders.
According to the survey, farmers believe the biotech push threatens New Zealand’s global edge in producing natural, pasture-raised meat and milk. Many say it could damage consumer trust and harm the country's clean, green export brand.
Helen Mandeno of the Methane Science Accord cites scientific evidence showing the negligible warming effect of New Zealand’s ruminant methane emissions. “Professor David Frame has shown that New Zealand’s ruminants might, at worst, contribute four millionths of a degree Celsius warming per year. It would take 250,000 years for that to amount to 1 °C.”
The core message from the farming community is clear: leave our animals alone. Farmers believe methane is a natural part of the carbon cycle and feel punished for emissions they see as part of nature, not a problem they created.