Having lost the war, Federated Farmers has opted for the next best thing and issued the Government with a wish list of what it wants from the United Nation's conference on climate change in Copenhagen, which starts this week.
The seven-point list includes an acknowledgement of efficient food producers, an international push to address agricultural emissions and an extension in recognised carbon sinks.
Last month the Government passed in to law amendments to the emissions trading scheme (ETS) despite protests from the farming lobby group, with agriculture set to be phased in from 2015 to 2030.
Speaking last week, the federation's president, Don Nicolson, described as a "holy trinity" a farming industry which increased production with fewer inputs and generated less emissions, but warned New Zealand was about to enter the ETS without such technology.
"Millions of years of ruminant evolution cannot be corrected in a few years," he said.
Agricultural emissions need to be excluded from climate change mitigation measure, but if it was included, Mr Nicolson said a global, rather than individual country, perspective should be taken.
"Efficient producers like New Zealand must be able to over-emit, given we produce food on a world scale."
Mr Nicolson has also called for international funding of a global alliance to address agricultural emissions.
Forests planted before 1990 should be recognised as permanent carbon sinks, along with non-forest crops such as grass and non-plant based products such as wool, leather and hides.
Mr Nicolson said our emissions profile was overstated because riparian plantings, shelter belts and small woodlots less than 0.3ha were excluded as recognised carbon sinks.
The Government should also push for flexible land use laws, so the most productive land could be used and permanent carbon sinks transferred to non-productive land.
An internationally agreed carbon footprint methodology must be developed, Mr Nicolson said, so consumers had the confidence to trust labelling and to put to bed once and for all the food miles issue.