Just one or two thoughts on the matter. Probably because of stuff on Twitter about soil quality etc. Round here there are lots of cows and some sheep. Not many dairy cows and fewer than there were, apparently. As well as the piles of sand, there are peat bogs which were drained for farming in the 19thC. Mainly still peat as they have been used for animals. There is also fruit growing – lots of kiwi fruit, understandably, with massive hedges to keep the wind out and create a microclimate.

However, when on the bus trip the other day, we went past miles of brand new avocado trees. Planted on what was previously a dairy farm. To make things suitable for them, the peat is dug up and mixed with sand and the bedrock is punched through underneath to access the aquifer. I wonder what is environmentally better? Difficult to tell really- what with peat being a carbon sink and all that. Balanced against cows farting but also putting nutrients into the soil. Also what costs more to fly around the world – presuming that both things are exported?

Answers on a postcard only?

Continued:

Well we are now (Sunday 17th November) at the far south of the North Island, so I feel qualified (hah!) to make further comments. The whole island is very hilly with not a lot of flat land. Most of the flat land appears to be used for fruit and veg. Apparently there are some cereals grown but very few, mainly imported from Australia. Otherwise, there are beef and dairy cows, sheep (down to 30 million from 80 million 20 years ago), vineyards and forestry. 25% of the whole country is still primeval forest. Amazing amount compared with most developed countries – I would presume. They are trying to have the conservation conversation with the farmers but it’s a bit uphill at the moment.