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Calls to increase the rate of forestry planting to tackle carbon emissions were made by Green Party leader Eamon Ryan at the Joint Committee on Climate Action.
Agriculture accounts for a third of carbon emissions in Ireland, and Teagasc representative Trevor Donnellan acknowledged that this was largely due to the recent dairy expansion.
“The issue at present is that the dairy sector has expanded quite rapidly over the last few years,” Donnellan said. However, he added that the expansion had been similar to releasing a handbrake after the abolition of quotas.
“We’re never going to have that repeated again,” he said.
On the issue of forestry, he said that the scenario envisaged by Teagasc involves increasing the rate of forestry planted from around 5,000ha/year up to 7,000ha/year.
The same scenario also involved better fertiliser usage on farms. Overall, the scenario envisages carbon emissions dropping by 7% compared to the base measurement in 2005.
However, without mitigating factors such as better fertiliser use and more forestry, Donnellan said that in addition to the expected increase in cow numbers to 7.4m by 2030, carbon emissions would rise by 9%.
Carbon tax
The committee addressed the issue of a carbon tax being placed on agriculture, as voted for by the Citizen’s Assembly.
President of the IFA, Joe Healy insisted that a carbon tax on agriculture was not the answer.
He said that farming would continue to do more to help mitigate climate change and called for the full implementation of Teagasc’s climate road map.
“I have written to An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and sought his climate leadership in co-ordinating the coming together the key Government Departments and state agencies to fully deliver this climate roadmap,” Healy said.
The IFA environment chair Thomas Cooney, also questioned why carbon sinks from pasture in Ireland were not included in when it came to climate change.
Broadleaf
The rise in dairy cow numbers was repeated a number of times and ICOS president Michael Spellman acknowledged that dairy farmers would have to increase their rate of environmental measures.
He advocated the use of clovers in swards and soil fertility. He also said that increased afforestation should be considered.
“The ICOS report recommends the development of a worthwhile agro forestry initiative for livestock farmers including dairy farmers to grow native, broadleaf trees,” Spellman said.
He added that analysis showed that milk production from 2016 to 2020 would result in a €2.7bn benefit to the economy.
Whipping boy
The ICMSA were adamant that agriculture should not become a “whipping boy” for the environment sector.
President of the ICMSA Pat McCormack said that his organisation would not accept limits being placed on Irish farming.
He stressed that farmers were keen to co-operate, but that the imposition of a carbon tax was incorrect.
“We have one of the most carbon efficient agriculture sectors in the world and the consequences of a carbon tax would simply shift production to less carbon efficient regions, thus having an overall negative impact on climate change,” McCormack said.
CAP
Teagasc and all the farm organisations in attendance were keen to look ahead at the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is shortly due to start a new seven year cycle.
They focussed on the ability of CAP to be drastically improved and provide higher incentives for farmers to take up environmentally friendly measures.
Gerry Loftus of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA), proposed that under the next CAP one beehive should be considered as one livestock unit.
“We propose a hive of managed bees be considered a livestock unit with a generous area given for forage so as to include the wild pollinator,” Loftus said.
“With one-third of the country’s wild pollinators under threat of extinction, rough grassland, heather, willow and gorse provide valuable habitat and forage.”
Loftus also called on 30% of pillar I funding to be allocated for an eco-scheme which would be paid at a flat rate and would be mandatory for all farmers.
They addressed the contentious issue of non-native forestry planting and insisted that farmers would be paid for sequestering carbon on an annual basis for the afforestation and reforestation of predominantly native tree species.
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