DAERA has published an updated privacy notice that sets out how it will use and protect personal data in relation to a proposed new carbon footprinting project.

The aim of the project is to establish a baseline for net greenhouse gas emissions on all farms in NI, with carbon footprinting to be a condition for eligibility to receive future Farm Sustainability Payments.

The privacy notice highlights the type of personal data to be collected such as the name and address of the farmer, the herd or flock number and the business ID. This data will be information already held by DAERA and it will be passed on to the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) who are taking a lead in delivery of the project. The project data collected from each farm will include the number of livestock, land area, purchased inputs, manures applied and details around hedgerows and trees. It will be inputted into a carbon calculator to calculate net emissions.

However, only aggregated “non-personal” data will be shared with the likes of processors or researchers, while “anonymised data” will be used to inform NI GHG figures or future policy development.

“At no time will DAERA use the project data collected for the purpose of enforcement by DAERA or its agents or subcontractors,” states the privacy notice.