From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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Ministers for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D, Martin Heydon T.D and Senator Pippa Hackett welcomed the publication of the Annual Review of the Agriculture and Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector by the Climate Change Advisory Council. The review highlights the state of play of the sector and makes recommendations for future progress.
Commenting on the review, Minister McConalogue said:
“This report is very much in alignment with the policies and strategies we - Government and the sector together – are progressing. What is evident is that this work is bearing fruit with emissions from Agriculture trending downwards. Many of the recommendations in the report are already in train and it is helpful to see the Climate Change Advisory Council acknowledge the progress being made in the sector in meeting its commitments. Last year, 2023, was a year of considerable progress for agriculture with emissions reduced by 4.6% relative to 2022. This reflects the efforts that farmers are putting in on the ground but also gives confidence to continue those efforts as we strive to achieve a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for agriculture by 2030.”
Agriculture has laid a solid foundation to deliver a downwards emission trajectory over the coming years. The commitment of the farming sector to reducing emissions is mirrored by this Government in the provision of funding, circa €4.1 billion, in support of agri-environmental practices under the current Common Agricultural Policy as well as significant investment in research and development.
Referencing the policy initiatives in place, Minister McConalogue continued:
“Programmes introduced by this Government such as the €1.5 billion Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) incentivise farmers to undertake a wide range of environmental measures. In support of our aim to produce 1 terawatt-hour of biomethane by 2025, I launched The National Biomethane Strategy in May. I also announced that I had secured €40 million in funding to kick-start the biomethane sector in Ireland and I can confirm that 23 applications have been submitted to the Biomethane Capital Grant to further this ambition.”
“I have introduced schemes that are driving down emissions, including provision of €300 million to reduce enteric emissions through genetic improvement programmes such as the Suckler Beef Carbon Efficiency (SCEP) and Dairy Beef Welfare Schemes, the National Genotyping Programme and climate objective inclusion in the Economic Breeding Index.”
Minister of State with responsibility for research and innovation Martin Heydon T.D. commented:
“Innovation is at the heart of ensuring an economic and environmentally sustainable Irish agriculture sector. That is why my department is investing heavily in climate-related research to ensure farmers have access to cutting edge technology and management practices. Projects such as Meth-abate and Greenbred which are supported by funding from my department have led to significant scientific advancements in the area of methane-reducing feed additives and low-emission breeding strategies. We must continue to fund this innovative work and earlier this year I announced a further investment of €6.2m in climate mitigation and adaptation projects.”
Minister Heydon noted also the research supported by DAFM in the area of feed additives such as 3-Nitrooxypropanol, (3-NOP) saying:
“These technologies are now at the point of being ready to roll out onto Irish farms. Having received European Food Safety Authority approval, 3-NOP product has been trialled on 18 Teagasc Signpost farms in 2023 and 2024. Results show up to a 30% reduction in Methane during housing. These are real results for farmers and for the environment - taking research out of the lab and into the fields for the benefit of everyone.”
Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett, commented:
“The Council is correct to say that Government needs to implement policies that align with long term climate and biodiversity objectives. We know we need to tackle water quality too, and we are doing all three through a number of schemes. The success of the Organic Farming Scheme is highlighted in particular, trebling the land area farmed without chemical fertiliser, pesticides or herbicides since 2020. Much like the multi species swards and red clover silage measure, we know the organic farming scheme works for farmers and we know it works for the environment, so we need to continue to invest in its proven success of delivering for climate, biodiversity and water quality.
In forestry, we continue to expand the forest estate but not at the scale we need. I believe we are very much starting to see the ship turning on that front: the felling license backlog is cleared, an almost year-long delay in getting state aid approval from the European Commission has been dealt with and we have put very generous funding in place for farmers to plant trees with a €1.3 billion package. We have committed to and are delivering shorter turnaround times and greater output for new licences, with last month August 2024 seeing the highest numbers in over two years for new afforestation licences. So, the building blocks are all in place and we will work tirelessly with farmers, foresters and local communities to communicate the multiple benefits of forestry for climate, nature, water, wood and people.”
Minister McConalogue highlighted the significant decrease in nitrogen fertiliser sales which sees this Climate Action Plan target already below the level set for 2030.
“The use of protected urea increased by 15% in 2023, accounting for 22% of straight nitrogen fertilisers in 2023, compared with 49% CAN and 29% unprotected urea. This shift in behavioural mindset must continue and is a testament to the farming community’s commitment to climate change. Government will continue to support this good work.”
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine also committed funding to greatly accelerate the development of AgNav, this platform is a collaboration between Teagasc, the Irish Cattle Breeding Association (ICBF) and Bord Bia. AgNav provides a whole farm sustainability assessment and includes a decision support function (forecaster tool) that allows science-led plans to be made for individual farms to reduce emissions and increase carbon sequestration. Minister McConalogue highlighted the important collaborative work of his Department, Teagasc and the EPA in refining the Inventory.
“These inventory refinements have led to adjustments in relation to the emissions related to live weight and average daily weight gain. The revised approach also better tracks the changes in slaughter age that have occurred over the last decade or so.”
“We have made positive in-roads over the last number of years evidenced by reductions achieved, but we have more to do and the farming community is fully engaged and Government are committed in supporting the sector in achieving climate objectives and sustaining a vibrant and viable sector”, the Minister concluded.
ENDS