1 Ecological Footprint Plus: Calculating the total environmental impacts of New Zealand’s food and fibre industries

The production and processing of primary products is the basis of the New Zealand economy and has been for the last 150 years. Over time the food and fibre industries that have contributed to our economic welfare have had a significant ecological impact. The dependence of New Zealand’s economic and social well-being on these industries means there is a need to find ways in which these industries can operate sustainably. Sustainable outcomes require an understanding of both the physical demands our economy places on the natural resources of the nation and the extent to which these demands can be changed. Resource appropriation and eco-efficiency measures are ways environmental impact can be estimated. This paper reports the methodology and preliminary findings from the first phase of the Ecological Footprint Plus programme. This programme will construct a physical input–output table (PIOT) for New Zealand to enable the development of a comprehensive understanding of the direct and indirect impacts of the food and fibre sector. Data are input at a detailed and disaggregated level for the key primary sectors and at a more aggregated level for the other sectors of the economy. The Ecological Footprint Plus programme aims both to measure throughputs and to provide the catalyst necessary for the changes required to ensure the sustainable production of New Zealand’s primary output. Preliminary analyses for the Forestry and Logging and Sheep and Beef Farming sectors are given for use of water, land, and energy as well as emissions of carbon dioxide