By Raahil Sain
09:06:2022

New Zealand plans to charge farmers for sheep and cow burps to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. 

Speaking on Radio Islam International, Senior Research Associate based with the Institute for Global Dialogue, Sanusha Naidu, said farmers need to become more sustainable. 

“They see this as a possible way to get farmers to be more responsive to climate change, adaptation, and mitigation.”

“When it comes to the consumption of animal products, when it comes to how much the world consumes, I think the question activists, NGOs and advocacy groups are talking about is how much we need to start to reduce our consumption of meat products,” said Naidu. 

She said the move by New Zealand was innovative but also tricky for farmers to change their approach to climate change. 

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, vowed to finish the remaining two years of his term despite month-long street protests calling for his ouster.

However, he won’t stand for re-election as he focuses on fixing a financial mess that tipped the country into its worst-ever economic crisis.

“I can’t go as a failed president,” Rajapaksa said in a wide-ranging interview at his official residence in Colombo.

 “I have been given a mandate for five years. I will not contest again.”

Naidu said this showed a political immaturity to hold onto power. 

“And it’s not just a phenomenon in Sri Lanka -we are seeing this across Asia. We are seeing this dynastic and political power struggle where they hang on to power for the longest time.”

“Even if the reading of the political landscape is incorrect, even if there is a distrust in their governing ability,” 

Naidu said across the Asia Pacific, this kind of dynastic politics of families remained an architecture of the state. 

Naidu also discussed Australia forcing the KFC franchise to replace lettuce with cabbage in its burgers. 

There has been an outcry with consumers saying it’s a deviation from the original KFC recipe. 

“What’s fascinating – looking at the food crisis and the cost of food and inflation costs.”

“There’s an impact on staple food groups like lettuce. Some people will say this is because of the war on Ukraine. It’s not about the war in Ukraine. Australia has been going through a severe climate change phenomenon. “

“This is linked to the fact that Australia has been hit devastatingly with drought, and this has escalated the price of lettuce,” she said. 

Naidu argued that while it may be bizarre for people to get upset about lettuce, it was necessary to note the rising food inflation and its impact on farmers. 

“Climate change is not just about weather phenomena; it has an important impact on capacities and the global and national economic value change,” she said.

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