The SIDE theme is dynamic and SIDE chair Anna Wakelin opened the event by saying that farmers across New Zealand are taking control of their futures and standing up for positive change.
“We’re on the right track. It’s tough, but we can be proud of our low carbon footprint, our innovation and progress, and our work which supports communities through the bad times and the good.
“It’s staggering that just 11,000 dairy farms contribute almost $21 billion to New Zealand’s economy,” she added.
The first keynote speakers farmers Geoff and Justine Ross of Lake Hawea Station shared their story of how they became New Zealand’s first carbon-positive certified farm.