IFA president, Tim Cullinan, has said that “farmers and rural Ireland support climate action”.
However, he believes proposed changes arising from the new Climate Action Bill must be agreed upon with farmers.
“I believe that the vast majority of Irish citizens are proud of our farming and the food we produce and want to see the sector continuing to flourish sustainably,” Cullinan remarked.
“There are several important provisions in the new Climate Bill that policymakers will have to consider, which will protect the farming sector,” commented the farm leader.
The IFA president spoke as part of his opening address to the Smart Farming Spring Seminar this morning (Thursday, April 22nd). The collaborative programme, in conjunction with the EPA, works with farmers to support change at farm-level.
Treated fairly in climate action process
The farm group said it has been “engaging at all levels to ensure that farming is treated fairly in the climate action process”.
He highlighted that in the Climate Bill, states that in implementing the bill, the Minister ‘shall’ have regard to ‘the special economic and social role of agriculture including with regards to the distinct characteristics of biogenic methane’.”
It also says that the minister shall have regard to the risk of ‘carbon leakage’, resulting in more emissions in other countries as a result of reductions.
“Our grass-based production systems are extremely efficient from a carbon perspective. It makes no sense to drive food production elsewhere, which will certainly result in carbon leakage as global food demand is increasing. The minister is required to take this into account when framing any new targets,” he said.
Halving the national herd
Cullinan said that the suggestion in some quarters that the number of cattle in Ireland will reduce by 51% due to the Climate Bill is “nonsense”.
“The draft Agri-Food strategy published at the weekend proposes a 10% reduction in biogenic methane. This target will be very challenging, but I believe that we can achieve this by adapting practices and developing technology while still developing our sector.”
“The key issue in the weeks and months ahead is that there is full engagement with farmers on any proposals.”
“It is easy to set targets, but they must be realistic and achievable and strike the right balance between the three pillars of sustainability – environmental, economic and social,” Tim Cullinan concluded.
