7. Question No. 7—AgricultureJO LUXTON (Labour—Rangitata) to the Minister of AgricultureQuestion No. 7—Agriculture7. JO LUXTON (Labour—Rangitata) to the Minister of Agriculture: What recent announcements has he made about supporting sustainable agricultural practices?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister of Agriculture): Last week the Government announced our participation in a new agricultural initiative with partners in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is a four-year climate-smart agricultural programme driven in partnership by the Ministry for Primary Industries and other agencies in the Global Research Alliance on agricultural greenhouse gases.Jo Luxton: What will this initiative aim to achieve?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: The programme supports the region's policy makers researchers farmers and indigenous producers in their understanding and use of low-emission and productivity-enhancing agricultural systems technologies and practices. This Government recognises that climate change is a global issue and that we are contributing $10 million in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean because we know our collective interests depend on adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change on our environment. New Zealand does not exist in isolation and it is key that we are able to share our knowledge of technology and innovative practices with other nations.Jo Luxton: Well how does this fit with the Government's domestic commitments to sustainable agriculture?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: Our food and fibre sector exports see lifting sustainability as vital to creating export value. This Government is committed to supporting that effort given how vital the sector is to our economic security. We've worked in collaboration with farmers and growers through the He Waka Eke Noa partnership towards a pricing system for agricultural emissions and a pathway to reduce them. This is a world-first and many other countries are following with great interest. In addition we've committed $55 million over four years to establish the On Farm Support service. This is an on the ground service which will focus on reaching out to primary producers who are not currently well-linked with industry initiatives or advisers to help them access information they need to meet incoming regulatory requirements.Jo Luxton: What other Government support exists for sustainable agricultural projects?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: More good news. Look through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund the Government has co-invested with business over $517 million to support problem-solving and innovation. There are now over 200 Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures projects exploring a wide range of opportunities to diversify our exports capture value and progress our sustainability credentials.Jo Luxton: What projects have recently been funded through the Sustainable Food and Fibres Futures fund?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: Just this month in fact we announced $17.6 million to support the Sustainable Food and Fibres Futures fund for the Whenua Haumanu project with Massey University working with Lincoln University and many other agencies including AgResearch. It's a $26.1 million programme and will be New Zealand's largest ever study on the sustainability of our farming sector. The data collected will enable farmers to make informed decisions on the financial and environmental benefits of adopting regenerative farming practices if they should choose to.