Lake Hawea Station has been named as the first farm in New Zealand to have a carbon footprint certified by leading
environmental certifications provider Toitū Envirocare, proving that farming can be a pathway to healing the planet.
Lake Hawea Station is owned by Geoff and Justine Ross and is pursuing a farming strategy that is both beneficial to the
planet and the bottom line. Geoff Ross says "the process with Toitū highlights that farming need not be a problem in
climate change. Rather farming can be a solution”.
The certification process Toitū has undertaken on Lake Hawea Station is planned to be the first of many New Zealand
farms as New Zealand moves to lower its overall carbon footprint and consumers world-wide demand carbon positive food
and fibre.
Becky Lloyd, Toitū Envirocare Chief Executive says Toitū carbonzero farm certification is important as it demonstrates
to farmers, their customers, and regulators that pastoral farms can be carbon neutral and at the same time be
commercially viable.
The Ross family had worked on its carbon profile over the last two years and recently Toitū has spent time on Lake Hawea
Station to independently verify this and certify the Station’s position.
Justine Ross says "the biggest koha Lake Hawea Station can make to the world is to sequester more carbon than we emit.
For us, we call this Carbon Clear and not only does it contribute to the world’s battle against climate change it
provides us with a way to create more value for the wool and meat we market off-shore”.
Lake Hawea Station, a 6,500-hectare station on the eastern shores of Lake Hawea, runs close to 10,000 Merino sheep and
200 Angus cows. Geoff Ross says "a pleasing part of our process has been the ability to increase stock numbers whilst
improving our carbon position. The popular myth is the only way to reduce your carbon profile is by reducing stock
numbers. This hasn't been the case here. Instead, we have increased stock numbers and wool production whilst increasing
our tree plantings and retiring of marginal land”.
Lake Hawea Station is selling its Merino wool offshore to brands such as All Birds and Sheep Inc. Recently All Birds who
reveal the carbon footprint of every pair of shoes, wrote an open letter to all fashion brands offering to assist in
calculating their carbon footprint.
UK fashion brand Sheep Inc offers its customers full transparency of its supply chain including the ability to scan a QR
code on its sweaters which takes customers back to the farm the wool comes from and adopt a sheep on that farm — in this
case Lake Hawea Station. Sheep Inc see working with Lake Hawea Station and its carbon clear position as a competitive
advantage they can use in selling their sweaters.
The process was relatively simple, says Geoff Ross. “Prompted by our son and seeing changes in consumer preferences
offshore we started with some simple online calculators. We then had this process ‘ground truthed' by two scientists and
then Toitū came in to check our numbers and view our operation. Much of the information needed to calculate a carbon
footprint is available as part of systems farmers are already using, (Farm IQ and Overseer). So, it is more about
gathering existing information and having Toitū run the calculations”.
"Given New Zealand is largely a pastoral farming system and that so many of New Zealand farms have significant native
bush and tree lots this country has a significant competitive advantage over other agricultural nations, by providing
carbon positive food and fibre.
“As consumers the world over move buying preference, New Zealand has an early advantage” says Ross. “As long as we know
this information and communicate the carbon positive way we farm here. Not to mention that over 40% of our country’s
land mass is sheep and beef farms — to have that huge part of our country being carbon positive would be a big step
change in our country’s overall carbon footprint”.
Toitū’s GM Partnerships and Strategy, Steve Dixon says "Toitū is working with some of New Zealand’s largest
organisations and is now adding farming to this mix. Agriculture represents some 40% of our land mass and close to 80%
of our exports. So, to know the footprint of this sector and provide it with a competitive advantage will be a real
asset to the agricultural sector and our economy”.
Close to 1,800 tonnes, or 71% of CO2-equivalent emissions, from Lake Hawea Station are due to methane from grass-eating
sheep and beef. Other contributing areas include greenhouse gas from animal urine, fertiliser use, supplements, and farm
vehicles. However, on the other side of the carbon ledger, the farm locked up well over 3,966 tonnes of carbon through
extensive tree planting and areas of regenerating bush.
In time the Ross family hope to add the value soil will play, from their recent regenerative farming initiatives and the
ability tussock has in the alpine country to sequester carbon. They are also actively looking to reduce methane
emissions, through genetics, regenerative farming and possibly seaweed. Importantly, the Ross family believe that the
goal for farms should not be just carbon zero but rather to achieve the best carbon position possible for that farming
system, for many farms this will be carbon positive. Their ultimate goal is to be 10 x carbon positive.
Developed in partnership with Overseer and AsureQuality, Toitū’s farm certification programme is New Zealand’s first
carbon certification designed specifically for farms. The programme uses Toitū carbon management software that
integrates OverseerFM GHG emission analysis. AsureQuality’s role is to independently verify the farm’s carbon footprint.
“We’re proud to be partnering with Toitū, using our assurance expertise to add a layer of trust to this programme” says
Simon Love, the Environmental Assurance Lead for AsureQuality.
“Independently-verified carbon measurement and reduction is a critical part of the sustainability story for farming in
Aotearoa”.
Mr Dixon said integration of Toitū Envirocare’s programme with OverseerFM was a huge advantage as it is already used by
thousands of pastoral farmers across New Zealand with cross-sector coverage.
“We are delighted to partner with Toitū in supporting farmers who wish to improve their farm sustainability and to meet
consumer expectations overseas. Farmers who have OverseerFM accounts can choose to share their Overseer GHG emissions
results and carbon sequestration analysis with Toitū for certification purposes. You can also save duplication of effort
as you don’t have to enter farm information into the Toitū system manually.” says Caroline Read, Overseer Limited Chief
Executive.
“We are constantly looking for ways Overseer can support farmers who wish to tell a verifiable environmental
sustainability story. OverseerFM is also approved by He Waka Eke Noa as an emissions reporting tool.”
The primary sector and the Government last year signed a joint action plan, He Waka Eke Noa, to commit farmers to
measuring and reducing primary sector carbon emissions and putting a price on farm carbon emissions by 2025.
Mr Dixon said many in the agriculture sector do not believe Government regulation is the most efficient way to cut
emissions and the He Waka Eke Noa accord gives the sector the opportunity to develop its own solutions first. He Waka
Eke Noa has set a target of 25 per cent of farms having a plan to measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions by end of
2021 and all farms having measurement in place by 2022.
He said Toitū carbonzero certification will enable farmers to “future-proof” their farms by staying ahead of anticipated
regulatory requirements, meeting the evolving sustainability expectations of the consumer market, and validating on-farm
environmental efforts.
About Toitū Envirocare
Toitū Envirocare is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, a Government-owned Crown Research
Institute. We help businesses realise efficiencies, reduce their carbon footprint, and be more sustainable. Toitū
carbonreduce, Toitū carbonzero and Toitū enviromark certifications meet and exceed the requirements of ISO standards and
ensure consistent and comprehensive reporting, benchmarking, and management under international best practice. Though
developed for New Zealand business needs, Toitū Envirocare’s offerings currently serve over 400 clients worldwide.About Lake Hawea Station.
LHS is a carbon positive Merino Sheep and Angus Beef Station. Demonstrating carbon positive, biodiversity rich,
regenerative farming offers a profitable and sustainable future in New Zealand farming.