Timescales and incentives are fundamental pieces of the “rewetting jigsaw” which are currently missing from the carbon and land use debate, according to some Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) members and stakeholders.
The potential issue of “eircode” rewetting in relation to specific areas that may be identified by government for rewetting projects is also a significant factor that has yet to be discussed. This is according to feedback from an ICOS national bioeconomy workshop last week. (November, 25)
Delegates who attended the workshop in Co.Laois explored where the “quickest and most impactful” gains could be made on decarbonising above and below ground.
Agricultural emissions targets
Above ground measures including cover crops, multi species swards and the sequestration potential of hedgerows, alternative crops, short rotation forestry and commercial forestry were all examined.
At the heart of the discussion was an agreement that “quickest” and “impactful” may currently be incompatible because of the timescale and the level of investment that will be needed to deliver on the 25% agricultural emissions targets set by government by 2030.
Delegates at the workshop also debated how the European Commission’s proposed new Nature Restoration Law, which sets out targets and obligations including specific targets to restore drained peatlands which are currently used for agricultural purposes, could fundamentally change the landscape for farming.
A significant percentage of peatlands have been previously drained and then used for agricultural use and forestry in Ireland.
According to the commission “restoring and managing peatlands could improve water retention and quality, store carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve biodiversity”.
Restoring peatlands
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, has asked the Council of the European Union (EU) to define what “restoring” peatlands will mean under the law.
But, in the meantime some delegates at the ICOS bioeconomy workshop voiced concerns on how this could potentially impact on farming communities and whether re-wetting would mean “abandonment” of the land or the “destruction of the social fabric” of some areas for example in the midlands.
According to the National Parks and Wildlife Service peat soils cover approximately 20.6% of the national land area.
“The original area of raised bogs in the state was approximately 311,000 ha and the original area of blanket bogs was approximately 774,000 ha,” the service has outlined.
There have previously been a number of cases taken against Ireland for “alleged infringements” of EU law in relation to the management of peatlands.
According to some delegates at the ICOS bioeconomy workshop changes which lie ahead in relation to how emissions are measured under land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) and how they will be measured under a single agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) approach could also create major challenges for Ireland.
Delegates found that the lack of detail on “timescales and incentives” had really left farmers in the dark about what the immediate future might hold for them.
Carbon removal targets
MEP for Ireland south Séan Kelly, who joined the workshop via video link, warned that it was important that “carbon removals” targets did not damage the agricultural sector.
The MEP said “clear details of how government will incentivise farmers” and “strong leadership” was needed to provide the “certainty” which is currently missing for farmers.
Kelly said that over the course of the next decade” significant steps” will have to be taken in relation to Ireland’s decarbonising targets and EU proposals for sustainable carbon cycles.
“People need to make a living,” Kelly said and urged the government to outline “concrete measures” to help farmers achieve the targets which have been set and added:
“A sustainable business model both environmental and in economic terms is within reach.”
ICOS now plans to launch a research project on “farmer attitudes” to “challenges and opportunities” which will be funded by the society’s Golden Jubilee Trust.
The society intends to use the results of the research project and recommendations from the national bioeconomy workshop in Co. Laois to develop its 2023 strategies.