He Waka Eke Noa – Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership will support farmers and growers to protect, restore and sustain our environment and to enhance our well-being and that of future generations.

We are working together to implement a framework by 2025 to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and build the agriculture sector’s resilience to climate change.

Through this framework farmers and growers will be empowered to measure, manage and reduce on-farm emissions; recognise, maintain or increase integrated sequestration on farms; and adapt to a changing climate.

The framework will include incentivising farmers and growers to take action through an appropriate pricing mechanism by 2025, in line with legislation.

We are doing this work to enable sustainable food and fibre production for future generations and competitiveness in international markets.

“By working with the government, we now have the best opportunity to develop a framework that is practical and simple for farmers, rewards positive change and supports the sector to reduce emissions and maintain or increase sequestration.”

Andrew Morrison, Chairman B+LNZ

He Waka Eke Noa – Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership grew out of discussions about how to achieve the best outcomes for the country and the food and fibre sector while playing our part in global efforts to tackle climate change.

A group of Aotearoa New Zealand food and fibre sector leaders, the Food and Fibre Leaders Forum, put forward a pathway to reducing emissions in He Waka Eke Noa – the Primary Sector Climate Change Commitment document.

The Partners acknowledge change is required to encourage the transition to lower-emissions, more environmentally sustainable farming systems. The primary sector sees that consumers are increasingly demanding products with a low environmental impact. Many farmers and growers are already taking action to reduce the environmental footprint of their businesses, and it is important that they are supported on their journey to lower-emissions farming in a fair and equitable way.

In October 2019, government agreed to a proposal from the primary sector to work together with iwi/Māori to develop a system for measuring, managing and reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, rather than pricing emissions at the processor level in the ETS.

He Waka Eke Noa has been formed to equip farmers and growers with the knowledge and tools they need to reduce emissions, while continuing to sustainably produce quality food and fibre products for domestic and international markets.

This work involves designing a practical and cost-effective system for reducing emissions at the farm level by 2025. It also includes designing an appropriate farm-level pricing system building on the principles set out in He Waka Eke Noa.

Together we have developed a programme of work.

Primary Sector Commitment 2019>

He Waka Eke Noa is made up of 13 partners, led by a steering group and supported by a small programme office.

Steering group

He Waka Eke Noa partners have appointed a steering group to provide oversight and ensure delivery of the milestones and objectives of the work programme.

Terms of Reference >

The members are:

Sarah Paterson – Independent Chair
Sarah Paterson is Director of Blue Circle Consulting Ltd, providing support for strategy development, trade and primary sector-related policy, and facilitating strategic cooperation. Sarah has worked on trade and primary sector issues for almost 20 years, including roles with Fonterra, the then Meat and Wool New Zealand, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She is a director of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Inter-Weave Limited, Kiwifruit New Zealand, the New Zealand Meat Board, and a member of the Army Leadership Board. Sarah is a Trustee of the Who Did You Help Today Charitable Trust. She studied at the University of Otago, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Political Science.
Martin Workman – Ministry for the Environment
Martin Workman is responsible for leading the new Sustainable Land Use Delivery function. This will ensure delivery of policies such as the NPS Freshwater, He Waka Eke Noa and budget funding for freshwater restoration. Martin has over 20 years experience in environmental policy and delivery including time with Federated Farmers, Tasman District Council, Nelson City Council, and Ministry for Primary Industries. He had his first spell with MfE in 1997-99, and has been back with the Ministry since 2017 during which he led the freshwater policy reforms.
Julie Collins - Ministry for Primary Industries
Julie Collins has a Bachelor of Forestry Science and more than 30 years’ experience in forestry and land use policy. Most recently she has worked on climate change, biosecurity, animal welfare and food safety policy and established Te Uru Rākau/Forestry New Zealand, the new branded business unit within MPI.
Hilton Collier - Federation of Māori Authorities, Te Aukaha
Hilton Collier (Ngāti Porou) grew up on his ancestral lands near Ruatōria. Here he was taught about Māori values and beliefs. This along with an Agricultural Science degree from Lincoln has equipped him for a career predominantly in the Māori Agribusiness sector. He leads his iwi farming business, Pakihiroa Farms Limited, and is a member of the Federation of Māori Authorities, Te Aukaha.
Bruce Thorrold – DairyNZ
Bruce Thorrold has been a strategy and investment leader for DairyNZ since March 2001. The strategy and investment team is responsible for investing the farmer levy. Before joining Dexcel (now DairyNZ), Bruce spent 15 years with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and AgResearch, where he worked in soil science and catchment management, including hill country and lowland studies. Cameron Henderson is a dairy farmer milking 750 cows near Oxford, North Canterbury. He bought and converted the farm in 2011 and has since expanded the operation to include a 200 ha leased support farm. Cameron has degrees in mechanical engineering and finance and has spent time working for Fonterra and DairyNZ. He is the current Provincial President of North Canterbury Federated Farmers and a 2019 Nuffield Scholar.
Andrew Kempson - Agrifood Processor
Andrew is the General Manager of Global Climate Policy at Fonterra, and has been with the co-operative since 2010 in a variety of roles which have been predominantly with a sustainability focus. Over this time, Andrew has been heavily involved in the management and development of on-farm behaviour change programmes working to improve effluent, nutrient and land management; farm systems; animal welfare; capital and financial asset management and succession planning. As Fonterra’s Sustainable Dairying Change Manager, Andrew led the implementation of the Farm Environmental Planning service and farm specific greenhouse gas reporting that Fonterra provides to its suppliers as a service. Andrew has also contributed to the Biological Emissions Reference Group and was a member of the Agricultural reference groups established by the Interim Climate Change Committee and the Climate Change Commission.
Dave Harrison - Beef + Lamb New Zealand
Dave Harrison joined Beef + Lamb New Zealand in 2007 and is currently the General Manager, Policy & Advocacy, in the B+LNZ Wellington office. Dave oversees B+LNZ’s national and regional policy work including key areas such as the environment, biosecurity, animal welfare, market access, and trade negotiations. Dave returned from Brussels in 2016 after being B+LNZ’s Regional Manager Europe from 2010. As part of B+LNZ’s Market Access (now called Policy & Advocacy) team, he worked on a range of environmental, technical and trade policy issues affecting access for New Zealand sheepmeat and beef into Europe. Dave was also responsible for managing relationships with farmer and industry groups within Europe. Before joining B+LNZ, Dave worked as Office Solicitor/Policy Advisor at the Meat Industry Association; a Biosecurity Policy Advisor and then a Solicitor at what is now MPI; and as Private Secretary to Hon Jim Sutton for his Forestry and Biosecurity portfolios.
Michelle Sands - Horticulture New Zealand
Michelle Sands leads the Natural Resources and Environment team at Horticulture New Zealand. Michelle’s background is in hydrology and water quality. Her focus is to draw on her technical experience to provide policy advice that is informed by science.