Productive and efficient agriculture needs to be recognised as part of the solution to climate change, Ivor Ferguson, president of the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has said.
Ferguson was commenting after the UK's Committee for Climate Change (CCC) published its UK "net zero" target report, which recommended that the UK should cut greenhouse gas emissions to almost zero by 2050.
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a huge challenge for Northern Irish agriculture but we are up for it. There have already been gains with the dairy sector reducing its carbon intensity by 30% since 1990,” the UFU president said.
Crucial
It is crucial that in its bid to tackle climate change the UK does not export food production, and as a result emissions, to countries with lower environmental standards or ambition to tackle this important issue, the UFU says.
Ferguson continued that hindering domestic food production is not the way to address climate change.
“In the UK, 65% of farmland is best suited to grazing animals. The extensive nature of grass-based farming in Northern Ireland means we are already largely green by nature.
“Grass-fed suckler herds help to manage many habitats and produce a quality product from land that is unable to produce other crops. Grassland, farmland hedges and trees are also crucial for carbon sequestration," he said.
Industry partnership
The UFU has been part of Northern Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Industry Partnership for almost 10 years and on climate change targets, Ferguson said: “We continue to be an integral member of this industry partnership which was set up to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our sector.
“Farmers are committed to tackling greenhouse gas emissions through improving production efficiencies and encouraging carbon capture.”
Cash for ash
Producing more renewable energy has been identified as another way to tackle climate change. However, the UFU says that farmers in Northern Ireland are wary following the RHI fiasco.
“The incompetence of civil servants and Government have left many legitimate users paying the price. The RHI scandal has been a major blow for the industry and set us back when it comes to renewables,” the UFU president said.
Read more
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'Dangerous' to downsize beef sector
Productive and efficient agriculture needs to be recognised as part of the solution to climate change, Ivor Ferguson, president of the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has said.
Ferguson was commenting after the UK's Committee for Climate Change (CCC) published its UK "net zero" target report, which recommended that the UK should cut greenhouse gas emissions to almost zero by 2050.
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a huge challenge for Northern Irish agriculture but we are up for it. There have already been gains with the dairy sector reducing its carbon intensity by 30% since 1990,” the UFU president said.
Crucial
It is crucial that in its bid to tackle climate change the UK does not export food production, and as a result emissions, to countries with lower environmental standards or ambition to tackle this important issue, the UFU says.
Ferguson continued that hindering domestic food production is not the way to address climate change.
“In the UK, 65% of farmland is best suited to grazing animals. The extensive nature of grass-based farming in Northern Ireland means we are already largely green by nature.
“Grass-fed suckler herds help to manage many habitats and produce a quality product from land that is unable to produce other crops. Grassland, farmland hedges and trees are also crucial for carbon sequestration," he said.
Industry partnership
The UFU has been part of Northern Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Industry Partnership for almost 10 years and on climate change targets, Ferguson said: “We continue to be an integral member of this industry partnership which was set up to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our sector.
“Farmers are committed to tackling greenhouse gas emissions through improving production efficiencies and encouraging carbon capture.”
Cash for ash
Producing more renewable energy has been identified as another way to tackle climate change. However, the UFU says that farmers in Northern Ireland are wary following the RHI fiasco.
“The incompetence of civil servants and Government have left many legitimate users paying the price. The RHI scandal has been a major blow for the industry and set us back when it comes to renewables,” the UFU president said.
Read more
EU's Brazilian imports destroying 300 football fields of forest per day
Lump-sum payments for 1ha of forestry proposed
'Dangerous' to downsize beef sector
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