Any situation where farmers are asked to share data with a farming or environmental agency must be considered very carefully, and done so with the full agreement of the farmer, deputy president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Brian Rushe has said.

He was commenting on reports today (Tuesday, January 25) that farmers will be expected to share information on plans or activities associated with cutting emissions on their farms. Failure to do so, could result in a number of consequences for the farming sector over the coming decade, it is understood.

Rushe said that the IFA is in the process of developing a farmer-data protocol that it expects will be adhered to by relevant agencies.

Last year, the IFA contacted a number of organisations – Teagasc, Bord Bia, Irish Cattle and Beef Federation, the Environmental Protection Agency, Animal Health Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine – asking them detailed questions about their policies around sharing farmer data.

“We received detailed replies from each organisation and we have had some follow-up meetings,” Rushe said.

“We are seeking very clear undertakings that each agency has a robust set of arrangements around the reasons for collection, the storing of the data, and any use that it might be put to,” he said.

He said there must be full transparency about what any organisation is doing with farmers’ data, adding that any benefits arising from the data must come back to the farmer.

“There is no doubt that farms contain valuable information. Farmers will rightly ask what benefit will come to them if they are being asked to share information. The increased costs and upskilling necessary from additional data generation and sharing requirements on-farm will also need to be factored into any proposal.”

“There is a real danger that benefits from farmers’ sustainability data will be gained by those further up the value chain, with farmers left with no return,” he said.