Bord Bia is planning a brand new farm sustainability programme that will add a climate credit scheme on top of existing quality assurance schemes.

The aim is to fundamentally change how climate and environmental action on Irish farms is driven, monitored and assessed.

Farmers will earn credits based on measures they undertake, the Irish Farmers Journal has learned.

Bord Bia tender documents seen by the Irish Farmers Journal show that the programme will be built on four pillars – changes to existing quality assurance schemes, driving change through implementing expert advice, knowledge transfer focused on sustainability, and the credit system.

Bord Bia envisages that these credits could be used to “access industry benefits”. It is not yet clear what these industry benefits could be.

Bord Bia’s existing quality assurance schemes for beef, sheep, pig, poultry and dairy farmers provide the foundations of Origin Green. They will be changed to accommodate the implementation of climate action measures.

For example, work conducted by Teagasc on how to reduce emissions includes improved liveweight gain in beef animals, extended grazing, greater use of protected fertiliser, low-emission slurry spreading and reduced crude protein in pig diets.

Credits

The farm sustainability programme platform and credit system (FSPPC) will be central to Bord Bia’s plan.

It will be a “library of sustainability measures” for farmers, who will earn credits for completing them. The credits for each measure will be based on its impact and the number of credits earned by farmers will be tracked.

Measures will fall into one of four categories – assessments, training, implementation and performance. Along with revamped quality assurance schemes, assessments will also cover plans and schemes. Examples provided by Bord Bia include profit monitors and biodiversity action plans.

Training will cover farm walks, events organised by co-ops, discussion groups and knowledge transfer groups. The credit scheme looks set to take the place of the Knowledge Transfer scheme, which saw farmers signing in at events.

Implementation measures look set to be drawn from the Teagasc MACC measures. These could include rainwater recovery, low-emission feed additives or tree planting, according to the tender documents.

Performance in sustainability will also be measured. Parameters could include the farm’s nitrogen balance per hectare, antibiotic usage, herd EBI and Bord Bia’s carbon footprint assessment, the documents reveal.

The credits earned by farmers for undertaking these measures will either be logged by themselves and then audited or logged and confirmed by the organisation in charge such as Teagasc or the Department of Agriculture.

The programme is still in the planning stage, with Bord Bia accepting applications from companies to manage the project up to this Friday 24 April. The successful tenderer will begin work in May this year.

Irish agriculture has been set a target of cutting emissions by 10-15% by 2030, while the market is also demanding greater proof of action in areas such as water quality, biodiversity and climate. The programme is seen as a way to ensure a unified approach in meeting these targets and provide tangible evidence for Origin Green.