It will be a decade of transformation for Irish agriculture with the focus switched from producing as much and as efficiently as possible to achieving strict environmental and climate targets that will lead to loss of production as a consequence.

This is not spelt out specifically and references to developing diets that reduce emissions are theoretical right now though may be developed in time as a response to the demand for methane reduction.

Framework for strategy

In fairness to the committee that was charged with drafting the strategy, they were constrained by the demands coming from the CAP and the EU Green Deal’s Farm to Fork strategy, as well as the Irish Government’s Ag Climatise roadmap.

The strategy proposed for Irish agriculture to 2030 will give effect to this, notwithstanding exceptions like a more realistic target of 7.5% instead of 25% for organic farming. Even this seems ambitious given that just 2% of Irish land is organically farmed at present and, from this, there are frequent reports of insufficient demand for the produce, meaning plenty of organic products finish up in mainstream markets.

Agriculture’s share of emissions is particularly high in Ireland

Despite Ireland being one of the most natural grassland areas of the world and an obvious part of the earth to concentrate livestock production, the broad-brush approach dictated that agriculture must deliver huge reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from farming.

Agriculture’s share of emissions is particularly high in Ireland due to the historical failure to develop meaningful heavy manufacturing industry, but the case for treating Ireland differently hasn’t successfully been made.

Biggest impact since hormone ban

With Farm to Fork moving from the theoretical into national strategies and soon into national plans for delivery of the CAP, productive farming will have the biggest constraints imposed since the banning of growth-promoting hormones in cattle in 1988.

Then, the EU decided as a precaution that hormones would be banned from beef production and in the process put EU farmers at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of the world.

It will be great if the market delivers the necessary premium but it has to be underwritten by Government

The ambition of this strategy is to make Irish agriculture a world leader in sustainability, and despite the aspiration that this will give Ireland a competitive advantage, there is no evidence that this has been achieved anywhere else.

It will be great if the market delivers the necessary premium but it has to be underwritten by Government.

Commercialising sustainability

Ireland is already a world leader for sustainable dairy production and well-placed in beef and sheep. Successful development of Asian and North American markets is based on being price competitive alongside South American countries while the US, Canada and Australia have the top-end markets with their grain-fed, not grass-fed, beef offering.

The Irish meat processing sector has long advocated that the market wants Irish steer, not bull beef

While bound by external constraints in formulating the strategy, the method of beef production that would slash GHG emissions per kilo of beef has been overlooked. That is moving the traditional steer production model which has a 30-month production cycle to a bull beef system, which can deliver the same or more beef output in half the time, or less.

The Irish meat processing sector has long advocated that the market wants Irish steer, not bull beef. Yet, when prices are compared, we are similar and frequently below the main beef-producing countries in Europe where it is a bull beef model. There is no evidence of the market paying a premium for steer beef, apart from Britain where its price is at a different level and one that Irish beef hasn’t been able to get close to.

Climate pillar

Despite its withdrawal from the committee just before publication, it is clear that the climate voice has been heard as much as the farming and industry voice in the production of the draft strategy.

It is also evident that, politically, the wish is for protection of the land, water and air to take precedence over food production that involves the conversion of grass through ruminant livestock.

The IFA has properly insisted on an impact assessment for the strategy

As with banning hormones over three decades ago, this will make Irish and EU farming a higher-cost model that is forced to compete with the rest of the world, not just in external markets but the home EU market as well. With this new model, the debate has to move to getting farmers properly remunerated for acting as custodians of the land across Ireland.

The IFA has properly insisted on an impact assessment for the strategy.

It is then the obligation of the Government, supported by the EU, to make up the shortfall in farm incomes that this strategy creates.