Throughout this week’s paper, we carry extensive coverage, analysis and reaction to the Programme for Government (PFG) agreed by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party. If accepted by the membership, the agreement will shape the policy agenda for the next government.

The deal between the three parties comes almost four months after the general election and in the midst of what is set to be an extremely challenging period for our country – not only as we look to rebuild our economy in the wake of COVID-19 but also as we prepare for what now looks almost certain to be a disorderly Brexit in just six months’ time.

\ Jim Cogan

The warnings expressed earlier this week by the Central Bank governor Gabriel Makhlouf of an unprecedented economic shock from COVID-19 should not go unnoticed. Against this backdrop, the political stability that will hopefully be delivered by the coalition government is to be welcomed – albeit that many of the policy aspirations outlined in the PFG appear at odds with the economic landscape that is unfolding.

Ultimately, the development and publication of a national economic plan in October will be the first big test for the coalition partners. It will also be a major test for whoever is appointed minister for agriculture within the newly formed cabinet.

It will be critical for farmers that he/she has a solid understanding of the sector and is a voice that can command respect and carry influence – not only around the cabinet table but within Brussels. We should not lose sight of the fact that the next government, in whatever form it ultimately takes, will shape the future of our agriculture sector for many decades to come – not just through national policy but also in developing our national strategic plan under the next CAP and in shaping our future trading relationship with the UK.

Within the PFG, the agreement reached by the three parties on agriculture has been broadly welcomed. However, there is a distinct lack of detail on how commitments will be delivered upon, how various schemes will be funded and the conditions attached.

Until these details are revealed, there will remain a concern among farmers that a government committed to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions (51% over the next decade) will see such schemes as an opportunity to redirect supports towards reducing stock numbers.

Meanwhile, the negotiation process around the development of the PFG appears to have led to a better appreciation across the political divide as to the importance of agriculture to the national and regional economies

Of course, targeted schemes that achieve such outcomes through a carrot rather than stick approach could have the ability to enhance incomes within some sectors. But the crafting of these schemes and the ability to secure the necessary financial supports will again require a politically astute minister and one that is deeply rooted within the sector.

Meanwhile, the negotiation process around the development of the PFG appears to have led to a better appreciation across the political divide as to the importance of agriculture to the national and regional economies. There is also evidence of a much more balanced understanding developing as to the sector’s contribution to climate change. The acknowledgement that the distinct characteristics of biogenic methane will be recognised in achieving emissions targets is important.

By far the most significant example of progress is the recognition of all three parties as to the limitations of examining greenhouse gas emissions solely on a production basis. The commitment within the PFG to conduct a review of greenhouse gas emissions on a consumption basis, with a goal of ensuring that Irish and EU action to reduce emissions supports emission reduction globally as well as our own territories, is highly significant for our livestock sector.

To date, production-based emissions have seen Ireland’s emissions profile unfairly calculated on the food we produce for export and on the energy that we import

We have repeatedly highlighted across the pages of the Irish Farmers Journal the flaws in reducing our national livestock herd to achieve territorial emissions targets only to shift production towards more carbon-intensive models and further incentivise the destruction of the Amazon. The acknowledgment comes as the European Commission also accepts the need to look at consumption- based rather than production-based emissions. To date, production-based emissions have seen Ireland’s emissions profile unfairly calculated on the food we produce for export and on the energy that we import.

Of course, there are many examples we could draw upon to reinforce why a coalition government including the Green Party is a cause for concern for farmers. But given the extent to which the party appears to have seriously engaged on agriculture-related issues, perhaps now is the time to draw a line in the sand. Does the PFG present an opportunity for environmentalists and farmers to work together to develop an economic and environmentally sustainable production model? The answer is yes – but only if an economic plan can now be developed that turns the positive aspirations into positive actions that deliver for farmers and rural Ireland.