Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) has awarded €200,000 in research funding to a consortium called Farm Zero C that aims to scientifically measure the world’s first carbon-neutral dairy farm.

Shinagh dairy research farm, located near Bandon, will be used as a trial farm by the Farm Zero C team to try to achieve a zero-emissions dairy farm.

Shinagh is a joint research farm established in 2011 by the four west Cork co-ops and Teagasc. It is home to a herd of over 230 dairy cows. The Farm Zero C consortium comprises a number of companies and research institutions, including west Cork dairy processor Carbery, Devenish, Teagasc, UCD, Trinity College, IT Tralee, BiOrbic and Dutch company Grassa, as well as a number of ag-tech companies from the US.

Enda Buckley, director of sustainability at Carbery, says the aim of the group at Shinagh will be to follow the approach taken by Devenish in how it mapped a carbon balance sheet at the Dowth research farm by measuring both carbon emissions and carbon sequestration for the farm.

This will reveal the net figure for the farm’s carbon footprint.

The farm can then aim to become carbon-neutral with zero net emissions by increasing the amount of carbon sequestered on the farm to fully offset the emissions created by the dairy herd.