Many of these forests were planted for soil and water conservation reasons on erosion-prone hill country which was formerly in sheep and cattle pasture.

Half of the country’s plantations and one-third of the annual harvest are already third party certified, with the most popular being the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system. As the deforestation occurring in Central North Island for dairy expansion is showing, there was a surprising amount of native bio-diversity relying on the plantations - locals in CNI near the conversions are noticing a big increase in the numbers of native birds trying to establish themselves on lifestyle blocks in the area now that the plantations are disappearing.

But the main problem arising from turning plantation forest land into dairy land is the massive impact on the climate - NZ’s plantation forests are estimated to sequester (absorb) 25 million tonnes of CO 2 from the atmosphere each year, they have an important role to play in the country meeting its Kyoto commitments. Intensive dairy farming is one of the most greenhouse gas producing forms of land use - agriculture accounts for 49% of NZ’s greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the fastest growing sources. Deforesting for dairy expansion is a total double whammy for the climate.