Alternative crops could play a huge part in sequestering more carbon on Irish farms, the 2019 Nuffield conference was told.

Klaus Laitenberger, an organic vegetable grower from Co Leitrim and a 2018 Nuffield scholar, told delegates at the annual Nuffield conference in Dublin that climate change presents a lot of challenges for farmers but also a lot of opportunities.

Research

Presenting his research report on the potential to grow alternative crops in Ireland, Laitenberger highlighted two crops, yacon and Jerusalem artichoke, which grow very well in Ireland and could be very profitable for farmers.

Jerusalem artichoke is a root crop that hails from South America but is now considered a superfood in markets such as Germany.

Interestingly, the crop can sequester, or capture, twice as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as a tree. Its large stalks can also be harvested to make pulp for the paper industry.

Jerusalem artichoke also has significant health properties and is considered an exceptional prebiotic for gut health in humans.

Sweetener

Yacon is also a root crop that hails from Peru in South America and is very similar to a potato. Laitenberger has already grown the crop in Ireland and achieved yields of 100t/ha. Mostly used as a natural sweetener, that could rise to be used to replace sugar.

The amount of farmers commercially growing yacon in Europe is small but prices are as high as €2/kg for yacon today.

Introducing more crop diversity can allow Irish farmers to put more carbon in the ground

During his Nuffield travels, Laitenberger met a Dutch grower of yacon who was making €100,000 gross margin per hectare.

Summing up his presentation, Laitenberger said Irish farmers could be incentivised to grow carbon capturing crops such as Jerusalem artichoke.

“Introducing more crop diversity can allow Irish farmers to put more carbon in the ground. We can become climate farmers,” said Laitenberger.