At last, we are putting clear numbers around what Irish grass-fed actually means.

Last Friday, Teagasc and the Scottish Agricultural Colleges put on a joint conference on ruminant, pasture-based systems.

Potentially, Irish farming has an enormous amount to lose

While the event was organised on the basis of longstanding co-operation between the two bodies, the whole thing was lent extra added urgency by the fevered discussions around greenhouse gas emissions, the role of ruminants and the health effects of meat and milk consumption.

From a national grass point of view, there is, as far as I can judge, a developing consensus around the role of grass systems

Potentially, Irish farming has an enormous amount to lose if the conclusions of this debate point to less milk and dairy consumption for either climatic or health reasons.

From a national grass point of view, there is, as far as I can judge, a developing consensus around the role of grass systems in utilising grass that’s of little use except as an animal feed but that produces high-quality human food in the form of meat and milk.

Dr Frank O’Mara, head of Teagasc’s research programmes, had pulled together the contribution of grass – both grazed and conserved as silage in Irish milk and beef production. Broadly, of total feed intake, we are looking at 80% to 90% – this underpins what we mean by grass-fed. There are few countries in the world able to produce such definite figures to back up the “grass-fed” claim.

Health and environment

The next element of course has to be how to back up the human health, environmental and greenhouse gas claim.

At this stage, the health and environmental claims are broadly accepted, except by the most biased.

The greenhouse gas element keeps developing

Several EU and other bodies have pointed out the merit of animals on pasture from both a human health, environmental and rural development point of view.

The greenhouse gas element keeps developing, with the role of methane being contested by both sides of the argument. But that’s for another day.

What we are seeing are solid details emerging on what an Irish ingredient label could actually mean.

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