The carbon budgets published this week by the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) will “affect every aspect of young farmers’ lives – personal and professional – for decades to come” the national president of Macra na Feirme has said.
Responding to the CCAC’s report, which predicts lower cattle numbers and lower output of agricultural produce in order to achieve Ireland’s required reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, John Keane said it is “sealing the fate of young farmers”.
“The CCAC admits in their report that there will be lower agriculture outputs, incomes and a reduction in employment as a result of a reduction in bovine agricultural activity.
“Young farmers, young business people, are having their businesses curtailed. They must be supported in their careers. They must be front and centre in all agriculture carbon budget conversations,” he added.
“Is it really right for young farmers’ fates to be signed, sealed and delivered without them?”
He said that what is required now is an “intensification of of investment in research and innovation to develop further technologies and practices that will deliver on additional carbon commitments”.
“We, as young farmers, cannot end up in a situation where our competitive advantage in terms of our grass-based system of production is hampered while the rest of the world moves forward in production and innovation.”
“A realisation must dawn soon that the world population is due to grow by 20% over the next 30 years, in a time that already has mass starvation across the world.
“Curtailing one of the most sustainable food producing countries in the world will do nothing to meet the global food demand or the need to reduce global emissions,” the Macra president said.