The Department of Agriculture is currently examining several possibilities to pay farmers for sequestering carbon on their farms.

A model of financially supporting farmers to capture carbon was outlined in the European Commission’s recently published Farm to Fork strategy. It included funding farmers through the CAP and via a private market where companies emitting carbon could pay farmers to offset emissions.

Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed outlined several avenues the Department is exploring in response to a question from Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy.

CAP

The minister pointed to the new CAP proposals as one way to reward farmers. Member states will be required to offer eco-schemes that make a proportion of Pillar I direct payments conditional on additional environmental action, and schemes in Pillar II based on further environmental actions.

“Such measures could reward action to increase carbon sequestration on farms, for example, by encouraging sustainable management practices to reduce carbon loss from land,” Minister Creed said.

“Ireland has an abundance of peat-based soils, much of which are a net source of carbon emissions at present.”

However, he stressed the development of measures of that nature would require the establishment of a baseline to ensure that measures proposed delivered.

Forestry

He identified afforestation as another avenue. Currently, the Department offers a variety of supports to farmers to plant trees. The minister said such planting makes an important contribution to carbon sequestration.

He added that the private sector could also have a role to play.

“An example of a positive development to date in this area is my Department’s Woodland Environmental Fund where businesses can part fund the establishment of native woodlands on farms,” the minister pointed out.

“The additional funding provided amounts to €1,000/ha and is paid directly to farmers. In return, businesses can declare the carbon captured by these trees against their carbon footprint.”

To date, Accenture, Microsoft, Aldi, Lidl, KBI Global Investments and An Post have participated in the scheme.

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