New Zealand kiwifruit growers are volunteering their orchards for examination as part of a new three-year carbon emission study, that it is hoped will assist market access for the fruit overseas.
The project, which is funded by the Sustainable Farming Fund and carried out by the Carbon in Orchard Soils Team (COST), will quantify the carbon storage both above and below ground through the three-year spell, according to the Bay of Plenty Times.
Growers and exporters are hoping that the study will help establish a national image as an eco-friendly kiwifruit producer, ending overseas concerns that the New Zealand supply chain contributes additional carbon in the atmosphere.
'If it can be demonstrated that in New Zealand the production of kiwifruit can maintain of increase carbon storage in the soil then this may allow greater differentiation of our products in environmentally-concerned markets such as Europe,' said Allister Holmes of COST.
A total of 73 orchards will take part in the project, which will be overseen by soil scientists from Plant & Food, the Agricultural Research Group on Sustainability, the PlusGroup and local councils.
'At some stage in the future, if customers ask for information on the carbon footprint of growing kiwifruit we will be able to supply that, thanks to this study,' Mr Holmes added. 'Because of the disorganised nature of the Chilean kiwifruit industry it is unlikely our major competitor will have the kind of information the market wants, but the New Zealand industry will.'
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