The best way to kick back into gear for 2022 is of course with the chunkiest talking point in smoko rooms, dairy sheds and board tables in the primary sector "What is He Waka Eke Noa and why should I care?"  With the stresses in the face of Omicron affecting processing plants, tractors parked up waiting for the deluge of rain to bugger off to harvest crops it may seem too hard to wrap your head around another complicated pressure.   "Doing nothing is not an option, so I've created a whole episode for you to understand what it means for you," - Sarah Perriam, host Sarah's Country.   New Zealand's agriculture emissions will be in the ETS regardless, but how is still up for discussion. However, we are short on time with feedback to the Minister's presented by the partnership in May 2022. This is a massive deal for our & the next generation as we determine how New Zealand’s agriculture sector can balance pastoral farming's financial viability let alone survival in the face of pines towards 2050 whilst paying our fair share for greenhouse gas emissions.   "As a sector, we have to accept our emissions, reduce and adapt. Otherwise, farming is in ETS and the cost of it will be out of our control," - Jim van der Poel, Dairy NZ Chair   IN THIS EPISODE He Waka Eke Noa is a partnership with industry, Māori and Government. It's the largest pan-sector collaboration in history with negotiations spanning 2 years. In this episode, Sarah Perriam breaks this down with: - Kelly Forster, Director of He Waka Eke Noa - Andrew Morrison, Chair of Beef + Lamb NZ - Sirma Karapeeva, CEO Meat Industry Association  - Jim van der Poel, Chair Dairy NZ - Innes Moffat, CEO Deer Industry NZ - Anna Heslop, Communications Manager, Foundation for Arable Research  LINKS Learn more about He Waka Eke Noa  Download the consultation document (PDF, 4.8 MB). Attend a roadshow throughout February on the options developed by the He Waka Eke Noa partnership as alternatives to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).   LATEST UPDATE The consultation will now close in late March 2022 and the He Waka Eke Noa Partnership will report its recommendations to Ministers by 31 May 2022 (rather than 30 April 2022).