New Zealand Farmers Could Soon Pay Flatulence Tax for Livestock Under World-First Plan

New Zealand Farmers Could Soon Pay Flatulence Tax for Livestock Under World-First Plan
A herd of cows make their way down the race to the milking shed at a dairy farm in Morrinsville, New Zealand, on April 18, 2012. Sandra Mu/Getty Images
Rebecca Zhu
Updated:

The New Zealand government has taken on the proposal by the farming sector for a separate pricing system on greenhouse emissions, which includes paying tax on the methane produced by livestock, most notably its cows and sheep.

In June, the He Waka Eke Noa, a partnership between agriculture leaders and the government, proposed that farmers calculate individually and pay for their methane and nitrous oxide emissions rather than based on national averages.