Farmers' leader slams 'arrogant' environmentalists

Federated Farmers' president Charlie Pedersen today launched an extraordinary attack on environmentalists.

"I say shame on the people who elevate environmentalism to a religious status, shame on you for your arrogance, shame on all of us for allowing the environmentalists' war against the human race to begin, and take hold," Mr Pedersen said today.

In a speech prepared for Federated Farmers' annual conference in Nelson, Mr Pedersen said the planet and the future needed to be protected "but not with fear".

"If food production cannot grow, then our population cannot grow," he said.

"I am yet to hear any environmentalist admit that rolling back agriculture's intensification would have to be matched by worldwide starvation or a matching reduction in population."

Mr Pedersen said that seeking solutions to environmental problems from "yesterday's science" was a road to ruin that would lead to the capping of farmers' productive capacity.

He said one example was a move to protect the water of Lake Taupo from run-off from dairy properties and other farms around the lake, constraining production.

Mr Pedersen said there was a misguided belief that every square metre of flora and fauna was more valuable than the potential its mineral wealth could unleash for the nation's future.

He said the green movement was supported by experts who often owed their livelihood to the "environmental business".

"In this country, thousands now owe their living and personal prosperity to continued development of environmental controls."

But those controls were reducing the development and productivity of the nation and its ability to increase the standard of living of New Zealanders.

"I ask all Kiwis to think more deeply before supporting environmental causes," he said.

"They often give support to relieve themselves of any guilt about their lifestyle. Kiwis must understand that ill thought out environmental controls based on emotion rather than science will inevitably lead to a reduced standard of living."

An environmental spokeswoman, Cath Wallace, described Mr Pedersen's comments as "hysterical" and said he had missed the point of debate about sustainable development.

Ms Wallace, a Wellington economist who is co-chair of the Environmental and Conservation Organisation lobby, an umbrella group for 61 organisations, said the debate was actually about improving human well-being while avoiding damage to the natural systems that kept the planet functioning.

"His hysterical comments about how, in trying to tackle pollution, we are going to totally stop agriculture, is simply nonsense," she told National Radio.

- NZPA