The Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action will today (Tuesday, September 19) discuss the final report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss.
TDs and Senators on the committee will interrogate the assembly’s 159 recommendations to protect biodiversity in Ireland, including 17 which are specific to agriculture.
Speaking to Agriland, the chair of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, Dr. Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin reiterated that the report is an attempt to balance economy, society and nature.
Dr. Shúilleabháin said it is about ensuring that farmers are properly supported and resourced as they are a “huge part of the solution”, owning 70% of land.
She said that the report points towards the fact that the focus can no longer be on maximising production outputs from farming, but optimising farm practices within environmental bounds.
Farmers who addressed the assembly emphasised that farmers will respond to changes in policy, but these need to be “meaningful, widely available and of sufficient duration”, she added.
Highlighting the importance of supporting farmers in the work that they do, she said that this can ensure that nature can provide for people both in terms of food and ecosystem services.
“Almost 30% of our semi-natural grasslands have disappeared, less than half of our marine environment is in a healthy state and almost 50% of our freshwater systems are in unsatisfactory condition.
“Where we once had over 500 pristine rivers, we now have on 32,” she said adding that Ireland’s biodiversity loss is “stark” with many plant, animal and bird species in danger of extinction.
The citizens’ assembly was tasked by the Oireachtas to examine and consider how the state can improve its response to the crisis of biodiversity loss declared by Dáil Éireann in 2019.
Dr. Shúilleabháin is joined at the committee meeting by assembly members who participated in its work, and by those who provided guidance and advice through its Expert Advisory Group.
Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss
Speaking to Agriland, the chair provided clarity on one recommendation which seeks the introduction of a sector-specific levy or charge on agricultural exports and on retailers.
This new levy would encourage that the agri-food industry contributes to some of the resourcing for biodiversity conservation and restoration in Ireland, she said.
Addressing the committee this morning, the chair, who comes from a small townland in Co. Mayo, said she would like to pay tribute to farmers:
“From hedgerows in Tipperary to the hills of Donegal; from commonage in Connemara to clover pastures in Cork; from vegetable growers in Dublin to organic farmers in Clare, we respect and value their work, expertise and knowledge.
“Farmers are the custodians of almost 70% of the Irish landscape, producing food for us while also mindful of the nature and wildlife living on their land.
“The members of this assembly, many of whom were members of farming communities, recommend, ask and encourage the state to acknowledge and reward farmers accordingly for this vital work.”
Following the committee meeting today, the Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action will produce its own report which the government will then respond to, the chair said.