This weekend, Macra will tackle an issue that could well dominate the working lives of an emerging generation of farmers – how to reconcile high-output farming with climate change and environmental concerns.

The theme of the annual conference, which takes place in Abbeyleix on Saturday, is timely. The negotiations that will set the targets for the EU up to 2030 begin in earnest this Thursday, when the heads of state of the EU-28 meet to tackle the topic.

The news that this year is set to become the hottest globally on record charges that meeting, and Macra’s conference, with urgency. Some feel we have already passed a tipping point for our climate.

There is growing recognition of the fact that the most economically efficient farming is also the most environmentally efficient method of food production. Macra has decided to address the need to harmonise the separate goals of effectively protecting the environment, tackling climate change, while successfully feeding an expanding global population.

Sean Coughlan, Macra’s agricultural affairs committee chair, will give a young farmers’ perspective. He believes that farmers are now fully aware of their broader responsibilities. “I want to paint a picture of a rapidly changing world,” he said. “We first reached a global population of one billion people only 120 years ago, now we have seven billion.

“For food producers, the challenge is how to change effectively to cope with this continuing population explosion, while causing least harm to the environment.

To that end, Macra has invited Oisin Coghlan, director of Earthwatch Ireland, and James Nix, director of policy and operations with An Taisce to address the conference. A European perspective will be added by Matteo Bartolini, from Italy, president of CEJA (the umbrella group for Europe’s young farming groups). Mairead McGuinness, a vice-president of the European Parliament, will outline the political and legislative landscape.

Sean welcomes last week’s budgetary changes in relation to agri-taxation.

“It allows farmers a bit more certainty; stability for borrowing and for business planning to invest in land, reseeding, lime and roadways. We must not forget the needs of older people, and the tax incentives for leasing are welcome. It’s the best form of rural development, giving people the tools themselves – a hand up rather than a handout.”

Sean himself is in the process of converting from beef to dairying.

“At present, the beef stock are being sold. It’s a big change; I’m looking forward to the new challenge,” he said. Asked if it’s a wrench to see the suckler herd he has built up over the last decade leave. “This is a business decision that has been made a few years ago, there’s little room for sentiment,” he said.

Nuffield scholarship

He is also somehow finding the time for a Nuffield scholarship, studying the transition from beef to dairy.

He is heading to New Zealand next month, and has been to the US during the summer.

Sean is relentlessly positive about the future for farmers in the West.

“We can grow grass up here in Mayo, or anywhere in the west, as well as anyone,” he says.

“There may be little issues around usability on the shoulders of the grazing season, but these can be addressed.”