Dairy Pastures

Dairy cattle excrete excess nitrogen in their urine when their diet becomes too rich in nitrogen. This excess nitrogen generates a powerful, long-lived greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide. This Claim shows a reduction in the risk of nitrous oxide emissions by managing nitrogen fertiliser application and feed used on dairy platforms.

Excess nitrogen fertiliser leaches into waterways and groundwater, damaging freshwater ecosystems and human health. This Claim demonstrates a decrease in nitrogen-containing fertiliser applications, and calculates the quantity of nitrogen avoided.

Livestock numbers (both total and per ha) are the leading indicator of farming intensity and greenhouse gas emissions on farms. This Claim demonstrates a sustained reduction in livestock on a farm and calculates the resulting reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 

Calculates the change in total organic carbon content ('soil carbon') in the top 30cm of agricultural soils in Aotearoa New Zealand over a period of 5 years, using data from direct physical sampling.

Soil erosion reduces soil fertility and pollutes waterways. This template calculates the reduction in erosion risk achieved by land management actions on farmland using the Universal Soil Loss Equation. The results show the reduction in sediment loads from a farm to their catchment and downstream water bodies.

There are many unique ecosystems in Aotearoa NZ that are either uncommon, or threatened. These ecosystems often support certain rare species. This Claim recognises the efforts taken to protect these ecosystems from destruction.

This Pledge supports farmers to define the pasture management changes they are making to shift to a regenerative agriculture system. The template defines the data they will capture to measure the outcomes resulting from their actions and sell Claims on the NZCIM.