Nuffield Scholar and Ravensdown Senior Environmental Consultant Turi McFarlane was a guest speaker at the international climate action conference called COP24 in Poland.

Turi spoke at a programme of events opened by Minister for Environment James Shaw on behalf of governments of New Zealand, France, Ireland, Australia and the Netherlands. The programme showcased innovations and practical actions that farmers are taking to balance climate action and food security.

“The event organisers talk of a triple win: how to increase agricultural productivity, reduce emissions and build resilience to climate change impacts,” said Turi. Achieving the triple win globally is critical if we’re to feed a growing population according to Turi.

As a panellist, I talked a little about the importance of effective extension tools and services to help enable farmers to improve environmental outcomes by minimising nutrient losses in forms such as greenhouse gas emissions or nitrate leaching.

Ravensdown’s Mark Fitzpatrick, leader of the largest farm environmental consultancy in New Zealand, commended Turi. “He’s done himself and New Zealand proud on the world stage. Responsible nutrient stewardship is probably one of the most important challenges facing anyone growing food for humans or animals. Turi and all his colleagues at the co-operative are an important part of helping farmers improve in this area.”

Photo courtesy of IISD