Irish agriculture will not be subject to a sectoral target in the Climate Change bill published on Wednesday. However, Environment Minister has made it clear that all sectors must share the burden of delivering on overall national targets, and has proposed carbon-neutrality for the farming and forestry sector.

In his statement on Wednesday, Minister Hogan paid particular attention to farming and forestry. “We have a distinct greenhouse gas emissions profile due to a number of factors, including the high share of emissions associated with ruminant livestock in the agriculture sector,” he said.

“This situation has not arisen because we have an inefficient agriculture sector – on the contrary, we have a carbon-efficient agriculture and food sector. It is simply due to the scale of our agriculture and food industry relative to our overall economy. In Ireland, agriculture accounts for almost 30% of GHG emissions,” he said.

Greenhouse gases

Hogan quoted the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) called for a cut in global greenhouse gas emissions relative to 2010 of 41-72% by 2050.

IFA President Eddie Downey welcomed the decision not to impose sectoral targets, but described sectoral carbon-neutrality as “unachievable with current knowledge and production systems”. He added: “It represents a serious barrier to sustainable expansion of Irish agriculture. It is essential that the full carbon sequestering potential of grassland and forestry is recognised and attributed to agriculture.

“Irish farming raises environmental quality and contributes to climate mitigation and adaptation, in addition to food production,” stated Downey. “Legislation cannot simply seek to cut emissions from Ireland’s emission- efficient farming sector without impacting on the many other roles of agriculture”.

“Farmers in Ireland are among the most carbon-efficient food producers in the world, based on emissions per litre of milk and kilo of beef. This is independently verified,” Downey continued. Over 30,000 farmers across the country are participating in carbon measuring and monitoring through the Bord Bia Quality Assurance scheme.

Downey said: “Demand for sustainably produced food is increasing globally. Climate policy must not hinder emission efficient food produced in Ireland. It is now essential that the international discussions in advance of COP 21 in Paris in 2015 urgently address the food security crisis facing the world. We have to support sustainable food production in regions such as Ireland, at a time when global population is expected to exceed nine billion over the next decade.”