The Government is likely to pass a law banning farm-to-forest conversions to protect productive farmland for food production. 

It’ll mean a restriction on planting forests on high-quality land – and it’s a response to the previous government’s Emissions Reduction Plan.  

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has emphasised the need to protect productive farmland, maintain food security, and ensure that forestry expansion doesn’t come at the expense of agriculture and rural livelihoods.  

But, have we placed too much importance on planting trees anyway? And should we be focusing our efforts elsewhere? 

Today on The Front Page, University of Canterbury emeritus Professor David Norton is with us to break down what all this actually means – and whether we’ll be able to meet our ambitious climate targets.

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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

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Producer: Ethan Sills

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