Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has no doubt that lessons learned from locally led agri environmental projects will have a wider application, particularly in the design of the next CAP.

An exhibition highlighting the wide variety of projects being undertaken as part of locally led agri environmental schemes was launched by the minister on Wednesday 17 April.

Creed said the Department wanted to bring the innovation shown in the projects to a wider audience.

Funding

Some €59m is being invested by the Department of Agriculture into 23 new-style European Innovation Partnerships Initiative (EIP) schemes.

EIP schemes focus on specific areas for action with approaches to tackling environmental challenges decided at local level.

This is in contrast to national level agri environmental schemes such as GLAS which offer predetermined actions to farmers in all parts of the country.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Creed said: “We are committed to building a sustainable agricultural system that respects the environment. The agriculture sector is determined to play its part in responding to the challenges before us on climate, water quality and biodiversity.”

Complimentary

Minister Creed said the targeted approach to specific challenges in specific areas could compliment the larger national agri environmental schemes.

The exhibition highlights the varied works undertaken by the project groups including projects on biodiversity, organic production, pollinators, water quality, flood management, soils, farming in an archaeological landscape, and targeting unutilised agricultural biomass.

It was launched in Agricultural House on Kildare Street in Dublin and is open to the public to visit before going nationwide to other Department offices for display there. The next location for the exhibition will be the Department’s office in Johnstown Castle in Wexford.

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