Funding of €2.2m has been confirmed for two projects that will focus on finding better ways to manage on-farm drained peat soils in the midlands, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Pippa Hackett has announced.

The groups selected were Wetland Surveys Ireland and Green Restoration Ireland.

Participation

Wetland Surveys Ireland will look at developing a proposed farm programme that aims to enhance the ecological and hydrological functioning of transitional areas through a hybrid results-based payment model.

The payments will focus on the quality of on-farm habitats, while also having the opportunity of claiming additional funds to undertake farm actions.

Green Restoration Ireland will work with participating landowners who farm peatlands.

Lessons learned and data gathered will be used to establish a practical model for future expansion of these new methods

They will provide supports, through participatory learning and accessible advice, to those voluntarily transitioning their land use from current conventional farming practices to economically viable carbon farming methods.

Lessons learned and data gathered will be used to establish a practical model for future expansion of these new methods on farmed peatlands.

Carbon capture

The projects were identified through an open call under the European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) initiative and will be funded under Ireland’s Rural Development Programme 2014-2021.

Minister Hackett said: “Managing our soils in a way that captures and stores carbon can have huge climate benefits and projects like these, which involve close collaboration between scientists, ecologists and farmers, will deliver those benefits.

“By working closely with the farmers, I know that these EIPs will co-develop measures to guide a future large-scale scheme to manage these soils.”

The objectives of the projects are to protect the carbon stock and restore sequestration, maximise other eco-system benefits and build resilience to the impacts of climate change at catchment or landscape level.

These projects follow on from the recent investment in a National Soil Carbon Observatory and will develop knowledge towards rewarding farmers who capture carbon.