There are still many unknowns, especially in terms of how much value will be placed on different ecosystem services and how the market will evolve, when it comes to carbon farming, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said.

The Department of Agriculture published a report last month which recommended that carbon farming must complement but not replace productive farming.

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The report was carried out on the back of a public consultation on a draft set of principles to develop a national carbon farming framework for Ireland.

It also found that carbon farming must build confidence on both the farmer and buyer sides of the market.

Speaking in response to a parliamentary question from Tipperary north TD Ryan O’Meara, the Minister said that the EU regulation is creating the first EU-wide voluntary framework for certifying carbon removals and carbon farming across the EU.

Framework

“In tandem with developments at EU level, I am committed to developing a national carbon farming framework to provide guidance to farmers, landowners and foresters on the overarching principles needed to develop carbon farming in Ireland,” he said, adding that the first meeting of the Ireland’s carbon farming stakeholder group took place in recent weeks.

“While the conditions seem to be right for Ireland to develop carbon farming, there are still many unknowns, especially in terms of how much value will be placed on different ecosystem services and how the market will evolve, both in the short and longer term,” he said.

Any activity that sequesters carbon and achieves a greenhouse gas emissions reduction on farm level can be certified and is classified as carbon farming.