The Government’s emissions tax will cut food production by up to 20% in some sectors, ripping the heart of out of our rural communities, but barely touch net global emissions as foreign, less efficient farmers take Kiwi farmers’ place in international markets.

All this, while households across New Zealand pay more and more for food in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.

That adds up to an effective subsidy from New Zealanders to overseas methane emitters.

That’s why we’re firing up the tractors and asking for you to support your local protest at midday on Thursday, 20 October.

‍

Come by tractor, truck, ute, car, or on foot – this is our chance to show the Government that the public backs our farmers and rejects this punitive, counterproductive, and unworkable tax.

Details about where your nearest protest will be up on our website as they are confirmed.

We will email you as the information becomes available.

If anyone you know would be interested in attending, send them to www.groundswellnz.co.nz/stop-the-farming-tax to sign up for more details. Signing up is the only way to ensure you get the most accurate and up to date information about the protests.
Now is the time to take a stand and tell the Government that We’re Not Going to Take It.

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.

Everyday Kiwis’ opposition makes sense – we are already the most sustainable food producers in the world.

This emissions tax on food production will lead to food scarcity, higher food prices, and even more productive farmland land planted in pines, leaving our rural communities and rural businesses hanging by a thread.

Groundswell NZ supports a focus on reducing farm emissions through farmer-led, practical environmental actions on farm. This emissions tax will harm environmental outcomes – in fact, it will increase some global emissions!

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”.

With your support, we can force a U-turn from this Government.

Thank you for your support.

See you on Thursday.