IFA president Joe Healy has appealed to a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture to ensure that the Government develops a renewable energy policy and implements a climate activation programme.

Speaking to the Oireachtas on 13 February, Healy acknowledged the role agriculture played in contributing to carbon emissions but highlighted the steps farmers in Ireland took to mitigate the effect on emissions, and the ongoing decrease in emissions from agriculture.

“Ireland is the only country in the world that monitors, measures and manages carbon from farm to fork,” Healy stated.

“Over 137,000 carbon assessments have been completed on farms to date as part of Bord Bia’s Origin Green sustainability programme.”

Healy also pointed out that farmers would be happy to do more to help counter the effect of agriculture on the environment if the Government developed a farm-friendly renewable energy policy.

His key points included:

  • Reopening GLAS. This would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an additional 65,000t each year.
  • The announcement of a farm-based and community electricity tariff for renewable projects, with a specific export tariff for roof-mounted projects. This should be used over time to displace electricity production from gas, which accounts for 35% of greenhouse gasses emitted when generating electricity.
  • The scaling up of on-farm emission reduction programmes identified in the National Mitigation Plan, such as Smart Farming, Origin Green and the carbon navigator.

  • The development of a national network of producer organisations to support the mobilisation of the private forest resource.

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