New resource: Greenhouse Energy Challenges
23 September 2024
Vegetables NZ has created a new resource, to help policy makers and the public understand the importance of New Zealand greenhouse industry as well as the challenges the industry is facing and what the solutions could be.
The country's greenhouse industry helps provide New Zealanders with year-round, locally grown produce. Without the industry, New Zealand would be reliant on imports of these products, which could compromise our food security, particularly if supply lines were disrupted due to biosecurity or other threats.
Economically, decarbonisation is difficult for growers because they are price takers, not price setters meaning they cannot offset rising costs like some other businesses can. Additionally, decarbonising their greenhouses typically doesn’t lead to significantly lower operating costs or higher productivity, creating challenges in repaying the large capital investments required for fuel switching.
In any case, many of the foods produced in greenhouses cannot be easily imported due to low shelf life.