Press release
Ag Climatise Press Release
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, T.D., today reminded the farming and wider public about the ongoing public consultation in relation to a National Climate & Air Roadmap for the Agriculture Sector to 2030 and Beyond- termed Ag-Climatise.
The minister stated, “Since the consultation opened last week, my department has already received numerous worthwhile responses.” The minister added that he wanted to hear from more farmers “Nobody is more familiar with the climate challenges our industry faces than the farmers of this country. I encourage more of them to get involved in this consultation process which will shape Irish agriculture over the next decade. We need to hear their views. It is critical that we face this challenge together and chart a credible roadmap for the industry”.
The structure of the roadmap is composed of three elements:
While the initial focus will be on implementing changes now, for example, in relation to issues such as nutrient management on every farm in Ireland, the minister was keen to highlight some of the emerging opportunities for Irish agriculture in the medium term. He highlighted the ongoing work within the European Innovation Partnership called Biorefinery Glas by stating, “The whole bioeconomy will offer exciting opportunities for Irish farmers. We are seeing fresh grass being converted into a range of valuable bio-materials. Grass is no longer just a valuable animal feed for livestock, we can maximise its value to the primary producer by extracting many useful products and still be left with a nutritious cattle feed fibre at the end of the process.”
The objective of Ag Climatise is clear, it takes national targets and translates them into a draft sectoral plan for our sector. The minister was keen to stress that all sections of Irish society are being asked to contribute. The minister concluded “I want farmers to understand, and this is a very important point, that all sections of society are being asked to contribute in this transition towards a low carbon society. Some sectors have been asked to reduce emissions by in excess of 50% over the next decade.”
Note for Editors
The consultation will end on Friday 10th January 2020.
The consultation is composed of two elements, as follows:
Written comments are also welcome by email to agclimatise@agriculture.gov.ie and also by post to: