All New Zealanders should have access to safe water.
Farmers live and raise families in the communities where they farm and care about the health of waterways. We’re playing our part to reduce the impact our activities can have on nitrate levels. There is always more work to be done, below are some of the steps we’re taking.
Regulation requirements
As part of our Terms of Supply, Fonterra farmers must comply with New Zealand environmental regulations, which include a limit on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use. Farmers report on nitrogen use every year through Farm Dairy Records and can track their purchased nitrogen surplus (PNS) using the Nitrogen Risk Scorecard, which helps identify farm practices and activities that increase the risk of nitrogen loss.
Farm Environment Plans
All Fonterra farmers are required to have a Farm Environment Plan. These help farmers make continual improvements in areas such as soil health, water quality and land management. Our team of Sustainable Dairying Advisors work one-on-one with farmers to maintain these plans, identifying risks and recommending actions, including fertiliser use.
Efficiency visits
Fonterra’s data shows that farmers on average have become more efficient with their purchased nitrogen surplus through better nutrient management and adoption of good practices. Farm Source efficiency visits use Farm Insights Reports to identify efficiency opportunities for individual farms. While focused more broadly on efficiency and emissions reduction, an important component of the discussion is efficient use of inputs such as feed and fertiliser.
The Co-operative Difference and Customer Incentives
Farmers are incentivised through the Co-operative Difference programme to review and update their Farm Environment Plan for the current production season. Farmers who also have low emissions relative to the Co-operative average can earn additional payments through the Co-operative Difference and Customer Incentives. The eligibility criteria for these payments takes into account emissions from farming activities, including those associated with fertiliser use.
Projects with DairyNZ
Fonterra is a partner in the Plantain Potency and Practice project led by DairyNZ, which aims to reduce nitrogen loss to water and reduce GHG emissions using plantain. We are also a funding partner in the LowN Systems project, investigating how combining various mitigation options can help farmers to reduce nitrogen losses while maintaining economic viability.
Wastewater treatment plants
At all our manufacturing sites, we take steps to ensure our plants are operating as efficiently and effectively as possible, mitigating impacts to the environment. One way we do this is through wastewater treatment plants, which breakdown or reduce organic matter and nutrients including nitrogen from water before it is discharged. We’re investing in manufacturing wastewater treatment upgrades as well as improving manufacturing wastewater irrigation systems to minimise nitrogen leaching.