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While "young farmers are the new environmentalists" and can improve Irish agriculture's existing strong record on climate change, they need support to continue the reduction in greenhouse reductions per unit of food produced, Macra president James Healy told the Oireachtas committee on climate action this Wednesday.
Training and changes to CAP payments will be needed to achieve a "just transition," Healy said. Environmental schemes under the next CAP should reward results and better management, such as reaching common goals set between farmers and conservationists, he explained.
Environmental sustainability can’t be taken in isolation, it is also linked to farmers' economic sustainability
"Environmental sustainability can’t be taken in isolation, it is also linked to farmers' economic sustainability and equally important is the farmers social and mental sustainability," Healy said. One example he gave was nutrient management plans, which could achieve a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and 15% reduction in ammonia pollution if they were widely adopted.
Asked by TDs and Senators about farmers' education on climate change, Macra's head of agricultural affairs Derrie Dillon said: "We have a large cohort of the population that farms in a different era. We have 7% of our farmers under 35. We’re going to see change, but it’s going to take time."
Carbon capture and renewables
Agriculture should also get the benefit of greenhouse gas sequestration from grassland, which is a carbon sink but is not accounted for under current rules, Healy said.
On renewables, Macra wants easier planning permission, attractive tariffs and financial tools to develop biogas and solar energy on farms.
The organisation supported recommendations from the Citizens' Assembly in this area, but rejected the suggestion of a carbon tax on livestock as "counter-productive" because production would just move to less efficient countries.
100-cow limit
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan defended the proposed tax and said it should apply to consumers and retailers: "If we could set a mechanism where we would be certain that that carbon tax on the consumption of meat and dairy was not taken from the farmer’s share and went back to the farmer’s income, that would be a net gain for the farming community – do you not think that would work?"
He did not address how to impose the tax on the exports, but added that he would impose a 100-cow limit on dairy farms.
Healy replied that he didn't know if it would be possible to design a tax as described by Deputy Ryan.
Macra was the last organisation to be heard as a witness by the committee, which is due to submit its final report at the end of this month.
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