These elements may have both positive and negative effects on the health of dairy cows and soils. But there is no monitoring and our research shows the chemical composition of different batches imported into New Zealand is highly variable.
Copper in PKE may be helpful in treatingof this element in New Zealand’s farming systems. Similarly, magnesium in PKE may offset thefor lactating dairy cows.
PKE may be a source of fertilising nutrients into soils. It contains high concentrations of phosphorus, which will improve pasture growth when deposited on the soil in animals’ manure.
However, the concentrations of iron, aluminium, potassium and sulphur in PKE may cause nutrient imbalances in dairy cows. The actual effects on dairy farms, soils and milk are yet unknown. Othersuggests these chemical elements, when eaten by cows, may.
PKE in the New Zealand environment
Currently,require farmers to quantify every input to their farms in order to meet nutrient budgets to stay within freshwater quality standards. When the composition of PKE changes batch by batch, it becomes very difficult to quantify farm inputs and meet farm-nutrient budgets.
and, two of New Zealand’s largest dairy companies, actively discourage the use of PKE because it can, giving it a higher fat content.
However, it remains widely used due to feed shortages. Potentially, PKE use could be offset by reusing some of the more than 2 million tonnes of food and food-processing waste New Zealand produces annually.
Palm oil production
Even if PKE were proven to be beneficial to New Zealand agriculture, there is still the ethical question of whether New Zealand should be supporting an industry with unsustainable production patterns.
The production of palm oil has beenin tropical rainforests in Indonesia, as more and more land is needed to produce this increasingly common commodity used in everyday foods and personal-care products.
Even when PKE is certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil – a certification program for palm oil growers, suppliers and users –this palm oil is no different to any other in terms of social, environmental and economic outcomes for people and the environment.
Inand, Indonesia gained media attention for forest fires to clear land for palm oil production, resulting in air pollution in neighbouring countries.
Anby the Indonesian government in 2018 found 81% of palm oil plantations were breaching environmental regulations. Breaches included failing to obtain permits, not complying with sustainability standards and encroachment into surrounding protected forests.
New Zealand’s support of this industry is controversial, especially when there are potential alternatives.
Possible alternatives to PKE
New Zealand imports more PKE than the European Union. There are possible alternatives made in New Zealand that currently end up in landfill, including biowaste from the food and beverage sector. This waste includes leftover products from potato processing, wine making, brewing and other food-processing industries.
By importing PKE, New Zealand is forgoing the opportunity to use these locally produced waste materials as animal feeds and to avoid greenhouse gas emissions produced when they are sent to the landfill.
There is an opportunity here to repurpose food waste and the nutrients it contains for New Zealand’s primary sector. This is the subject ofongoing researchat the ҕl, Lincoln University, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and ESR.
This article was originally published on.
