Carbon Forestry

In February 2024, the Overseas Investment Office approved 7 foreign buyer sales to pine trees under the eye of the current coalition government.
It has hill country sheep and beef farmers scratching their heads as to whether National and ACT were even listening to the drum being beaten by the “50 Shades of Green” movement at all?

The concept of receiving funds or credits for planting native bush rather than pine trees on farms could encourage farmers to retire sensitive land to regenerating native bush. But what’s the right financial model that can help outweigh the cost of establishment and maintenance for farmers that prefer natives to pines? 

Doctoral student Kathryn Wright is researching the impact of plantation forestry on rural communities. By Annabelle Latz.

The company behind multi-national furniture and home accessories brand IKEA claims its purchase of a large Southland farm is for production forestry, not carbon farming, Annabelle Latz reports.

The conversion of farmland to forestry to capture carbon credits has become an unsettling development in rural communities, with concerns around whether forestry planting is in fact adhering to the promised ‘right tree in the right place’ strategy. By Phil Edmonds.