In October 2022, the Labour Government released its proposal to tax farmers for emissions on food production.
Later that month, Groundswell led a nationwide tractor protest, We're Not Going To Take It.
At the time, we said:
The government must stop proposed emissions tax, and undo legislation putting agriculture into the ETS. We are already the most sustainable food producers in the world, as verified by independent research. This emissions tax on food production will lead to food scarcity, higher food prices, and more land going into pine trees. This will lead to poor outcomes for rural communities and rural businesses – the Government acknowledge this in their document. Groundswell NZ supports a focus on reducing farm emissions through integrated environmental actions on farm. This emissions tax won’t improve environmental outcomes, in fact it will increase global emissions, which the Government also acknowledge in their own document; because food production will be picked up by other countries with less sustainable farming practices. This tax also breaches the Paris Agreement, where New Zealand committed to emissions reductions, which states that emissions reductions should be pursued “in a manner that does not threaten food production".
In June 2024, the Coalition Government announced that Labour's farming tax He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) was disbanded and that agriculture would not enter the ETS.