Financial losses and the level of investment needed to sustain farming operations may “threaten the sustainability of the agriculture sector”, a new report has highlighted today (Tuesday, July 4).
Researchers found that the increasing frequency and severity of extreme storms, flooding and sea level rise, means that some communities in Ireland are becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate change.
The new report titled, ‘Assessing the Evidence: Migration, Environment and Climate Change (MECC) in Ireland’ was published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ryan Institute of the University of Galway.
Looking at the agriculture sector in particular, the authors of the report outlined that higher temperatures and droughts in spring and summer, tied in with pest growth due to warmer winters, along with intensity of storms and floods, may all contribute to damaging infrastructure.
Sustainability on Irish farms
“The persistent occurrence of such seasonal struggles may lead to consistent cycles without recovery, which could put a significant strain on the capacity to adapt in time to meet investment requirements for the next farming seasons”, the authors of the report stated.
It also stated that this could lead to “implications concerning stable incomes” of farmers and potential concerns for broader food security.
The authors of the report also highlighted that while Irish agriculture and livestock face a “diverse set of challenges”, these disadvantages are comparatively higher in other parts of the world.
Projections indicate that parts of southern Europe will experience a higher decrease in precipitation and water availability when compared to Ireland.
Dr. Peter McKeown, coordinator of the master in climate change, agriculture and food security programme said it is “important” to educate and train the next generation so they can contribute to climate action.
“As the frequency, duration and intensity of natural hazards worsens in the context of climate change, the number of climate disasters is expected to rise considerably with knock-on effects on human displacement.”