Govt agri climate adaption plan ‘falls far short’ of requirements – scientist
A climate expert has said the Irish government’s climate adaption plan for the farming, seafood and forestry sector "falls far short" of what is needed.
Earlier this week, the government published the Agriculture, Forestry and Seafood Sectoral Adaptation Plan (SAP) 2025, outlining ways for the sectors to adapt to climate change.
Dr. Ken Boyle, sustainability education lead, Technological University Dublin, told Agriland: "The plan outlines the government’s response to the current and predicted impacts of climate change on food production and forestry in Ireland.
“Unfortunately, this is not a plan that will make Ireland or the world a better place for future generations.
"While the plan is to be welcomed, it is good to be talking about the need to adapt, the focus of the work is broadly limited to maintaining the status quo in a changing world.
"It falls far short of a vision of what sustainable agricultural, forestry and fishing should be.”
Production levels
Dr. Boyle outlined his concerns with the SAP.
“First of all, it doesn't really define what sustainable agriculture, forestry, or the marine is, other than it uses a vague terms to talk about sustainability, it's really in terms of how we can most maintain current production levels,” he said.
“And the problem is that in each of these sectors, current practice is not sustainable. The current farming practices have to change.
“That's not a change that can just be imposed. And if we don't really think in the long-term about these activities, then we're faced with constantly responding to a crisis. And that's not good for anyone.
“It's not good for the farmers and it's certainly not good for the environment.”
Climate change
Dr. Boyle acknowledges that the report “recognises that the climate has changed”.
“It identifies all these things that are happening,” he said.
However, he also added that continuing along similar lines is ineffective in combating climate change.
“In the next 20 years, things will change again, because what's built into the system now is warming that's going to continue long into the future,” he said.
“What we're trying to do is reduce emissions, and that means looking at all our activities, and getting that down is going to take a lot of effort.
“So current practices have got us to where we are and they need to change.
“That's not good environmentally, but it's not good for the farmers either.
Farmers’ livelihoods
On the subject of agriculture, Dr. Boyle said: “I know farmers will argue that this is their livelihood, and it is.
"And if it is their livelihood, then it needs to be supported."
He noted that supports for changes had previously been made available for the sector.
"In the past, farmers have been supported to move away from perhaps cheap grazing raising in the uplands, and milk quotas," he said.
“So things can change and things do change all the time. And I think farmers are adaptable.”
Dr. Boyle argued that some yardsticks are not constructive.
He used the example of saying “we're high up there in Europe in terms of environment and policy,” which he said is “comparing ourselves to some very poor performers”.
“So, I think there has to be much more honesty from the government about all of this," he said.
‘In this together’
Dr. Boyle suggested that the plan should be “clear about what sustainability is and what it really means”.
“I think that should be much broader,” he said.
“And I think this is something that might affect everybody.
“It’s not just to get more people to bash farmers, but it's to say that we're all in this together.
"If we're going to start changing the way in which we produce food and what we produce, then people in cities need to say, 'we're going to be willing to support local agriculture'."
He emphasised that there has to be a whole "change in mindset", but does not believe the current plan encourages this.
“It's all here [in the report] ‘promotes sustainable agriculture, promote sustainable forestry, promotes sustainable fishing and agriculture’," Dr. Boyle said.
"But it doesn't really say what sustainable is other than it's to generate income and jobs into the future and protect the environment for future generations. But it's much more than that.
“It's not clear what they mean by this, other than it's to keep things going as they are.”
