Pig Gas: A greenhouse gas emissions calculator for New Zealand pig farmers
Project start: 18 August 2020
Project completed: 1 August 2022
MPI funding: $25,500
Industry funding: $19,500
Industry partner: New Zealand Pork Industry Board
Region: Nationwide
This project developed a tool to estimate carbon dioxide equivalent emissions for the piggery operations of New Zealand pig farmers. The tool was adapted from an existing Australian model to suit New Zealand farming operations and emissions reporting data and criteria. It is run in-house by the New Zealand Pork Industry Board and based on surveys of New Zealand pig farmers.
Towards carbon neutral red meat
Project start: 10 March 2020
Project completed: 18 June 2021
MPI funding: $98,450
Industry funding: $370,640
Industry partner: Silver Fern Farms
Region: Nationwide
Silver Fern Farms worked with a group of 17 farmer suppliers across the country to help them understand their own carbon footprint and where opportunities lie to optimise carbon stored on their farms. The information gathered in the pilot has helped to build the foundations for establishing and verifying a market proposition for low or zero carbon red meat from New Zealand.
Raw wild game pet food (not freeze dried)
Project start: 9 July 2020
Project completed: 17 June 2021
MPI funding: $12,000
Industry funding: $18,000
Industry partner: Merit Meats Ltd
Region: Otago/Auckland
This project aimed to produce ethical, sustainable, and healthy pet food products made from pest species, such as wild venison and wild tahr. Initial formulations were well received by US customers in the San Francisco Bay Area. A second formulation was developed based on feedback and market research to meet the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards for a complete and balanced pet diet. Merit Meats also tested a wider range of raw and air-dried products using wild venison and other feral protein sources. The company now delivers its pet food range to all states in the continental USA.
SmartEWE: Good mothers, greener pastures and better products
Project start: 28 January 2020
Project completed: 31 May 2021
MPI funding: $39,875
Industry funding: $59,813
Industry partner: Four Good Foods
Region: Nationwide
This project established that smart tag technology can be used to continuously record the proximity of all animals in a flock to one another. This provides a decision support system that can match lambs and ewes on the basis of proximity, enabling the maternal performance of individual ewes to be assessed in order to drive short-term (more lambs from fewer ewes, better product quality), medium-term (lifetime benefits of good maternal environment) and long-term flock benefits (genetic improvement in maternal traits).
Proof of concept re the supply of 'Verified Sustainable NZ Beef'
Project start: 27 February 2020
Project completed: 19 April 2021
MPI funding: $176,500
Industry funding: $176,500
Industry partner: ANZCO Foods, Greenlea, Silver Fern Farms, McDonalds, Beef + Lamb NZ
Region: Nationwide
This project used the McDonald’s supply chain to develop and pilot a verified whole of supply chain beef sustainability programme, covering farm to finished product. It brought together representatives from across the value chain to demonstrate how principles of sustainable beef production can be applied on farm and through processing.
Proof of concept report
Video – Sustainable beef
Read the media release
NZ red meat sector – future proofing against climate change
Project start: 9 July 2020
Project completed: 9 February 2021
MPI funding: $149,500
Industry funding: $102,700
Industry partner: Meat Industry Association
Region: Nationwide
The New Zealand red meat sector is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2025. To support this goal, this project has calculated the GHG impact of sheep and beef products from farm to consumer using the current internationally recognised, scientifically credible methodology. This has created a benchmark and measures for future emissions reductions, in comparison to other global meat producing countries.
Carbon Footprint of New Zealand Beef and Sheep Exported to Different Markets – Summary report [PDF, 472 KB]
Free-to-farmer FAP+ Portal Prototype
Project start: 15 May 2020
Project completed: October 2020
MPI funding: $120,000
Industry funding: $120,000
Industry partner: FarmIQ Systems Ltd
Region: Nationwide
This project successfully prototyped a new free-to-farmer digital portal to help farmers in the red meat industry learn about and manage their on-farm recording requirements to meet the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP) standards. The project also provided technical specifications for the software build phase and outlined a potential business case for funding of the solution by industry.
