The three ministers at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) will host a “major” conference on agriculture and climate change at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin next month.
The event will take place on November 15, and, according to the department, will have a strong scientific focus, with the aim of bringing stakeholders up to date on recent Irish and international research to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the sector.
The event will be titled ‘Agriculture and Climate Change – Science into Action’, and will focus on three areas:
- The latest policy and science across various aspects of agriculture and climate change from national and international speakers;
- Accelerating the implementation and deployment of proven methods to mitigate agriculture’s impact on climate change;
- Highlighting the public investment and international partnerships in science and research in this area.
The conference will outline the latest science on methane, nitrous oxide, and soil carbon.
The event will feature a range of speakers, including (but not limited to):
- Donagh Berry, quantitative geneticist at Teagasc;
- Marie C. Donnelly, chairperson of the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC);
- Prof. Peter Thorne, University of Maynooth;
- Dr. Stan Lalor, director of knowledge transfer at Teagasc;
- Laura Burke, director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Commenting on the conference, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said: “The government is investing heavily in the research underpinning agriculture and climate change, particularly around mitigation measures for our pasture-based systems.
“It is timely that out stakeholders are updated on the ongoing scientific and policy developments in this area,” Minister McConalogue added.
Minister of State with responsibility for research and development Martin Heydon commented: “There is more science, research and innovation being applied in our food production system than ever before.
“We are seeing a number of new scientific breakthroughs in agricultural research that can provide farmers with the tools they need to farm profitably and sustainably into the future.
“As minister with responsibility for research and development, I am committed to supporting this critical research and translating it into real-world solutions. This conference will be an opportunity to showcase the efforts currently underway across agriculture to mitigate its impact on climate,” Minister Heydon added.
Also commenting, Minister of State with responsibility for land use and biodiversity Pippa Hackett said: “The climate conference is an important step to communicate the evidence base from department-funded projects, which is available for deployment and climate action for out stakeholders in thee agri-food and forestry sectors.
“Forests, natural woodlands and hedgerows have significant potential to lock away carbon from the atmosphere, improve soil carbon, and provide significant co-benefits for biodiversity and other environmental metrics,” she added.
Minister Hackett commented: “I particularly welcome the inclusion of forestry on the conference agenda as part of the wider diversification efforts in agriculture and for the wider land-use sector as a whole.”