A myth has taken hold in Ireland – the big scary dairy farmer is responsible for all our climate woes.
The belief that dairy farms are increasingly absorbing our land, destroying our biodiversity and hiking up our emissions is unfounded, but nevertheless, popular.
The reality is that over the last 40 years, the number of dairy farms in Ireland has decreased dramatically, while the output and efficiency of the remaining farms has increased.
40 years ago, there were 80,000 dairy farms in Ireland. In 1984, the average dairy farm had 18 cows and produced 70,000L of milk.
By 2014, the number of dairy farms had decreased to 17,500, the average farm had 64 cows and produced 330,000L of milk.
In 2024, it is estimated that there are 17,000 dairy farms, with an average herd size of 91 cows. Essentially, Irish dairy farms are producing more milk, more efficiently, with fewer cows.
Sustainability in dairy
The Irish public is rightly troubled by the shocking images of rainforests bulldozed through to make way for cattle, often supplying the exploitative fast-food industry of the Americas.
However, what the public needs to understand is that these horrific scenes are not replicated in our extensive, pasture-based model, which is one of the most carbon-efficient food production systems in the world.
Irish farmers have been working to tackle the climate crisis for many years already.
Minister Charlie McConalogue’s multi-species sward grant aid has seen strong uptake by famers, as has the Organic Farming Scheme, which saw a doubling in the number of farmers taking part across 2022–2023.
We have seen huge interest in, and even over-subscription to ACRES [Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme] and farmers now eagerly await further research and recommendations on hedgerow sequestration.
Our dairy farmers are the custodians of the land and farm it in a sustainable manner.
Some naysayers would argue that while the number of dairy farms has decreased, output has not and that this is an indication of unsustainable practices and over-production.
The former is a non-point for which there is no evidence, while the latter ignores the global picture of a concerning food supply shortage.
Irish exports
In 2022, the US experienced a shortage of infant formula, stemming from pandemic supply chain issues and the closure of a plant which had supplied 40% of the formula available on the US domestic market.
The shortage forced shops to limit the amount of formula bought by families and this was only when supply could be obtained.
The US took interim measures including waving tariffs on imports. As Ireland supplies 16% of the world’s infant formula and our product is considered the best in the world, Irish producers were the obvious choice for the American market.
Formula was brought to the US from Cootehill, Co. Cavan, as well as from Danone’s Irish plants in Wexford, easing the burden for US parents.
If sufficient supply of Irish formula had not been available, the US would have been forced to source the product from other markets, inevitably, leading to an increase in unstainable production.
Food security
Food supply issues are ever increasing; the World Food Programme estimates that 345 million people across 79 countries are experiencing, or are at risk of experiencing, food insecurity.
The crisis is escalating due to a shortage of Ukrainian grain, as well as high costs for fuel and fertilisers.
In November 2022, the world’s population reached eight billion, a threefold increase since the mid-20th century.
A further increase of two billion globally is expected over the next 30 years, with the population peaking at approximately 10.4 billion by the mid-2080s.
Faced with a significant projected increase in an already hungry population, reduction in our output would only worsen the global hunger crisis and leave a gap to be filled by unstainable food producers from Brazil, India and China.
Whether it is the recent floods across the country or the unprecedented temperatures currently hitting Scandinavia, the evidence of a changing climate is all around us and its impacts can no longer be ignored.
However, it is nonsensical to lay the blame at the door of our sustainable dairy industry. The reality is that Irish dairy farmers cannot, and should not, reduce output.
Instead, they should continue on a path to greater sustainability. To do this, they need the support of the government and society as a whole.
Currently, much of the work undertaken is unappreciated by the government, which does not compensate farmers in precarious financial situations for undertaking good work, and by the public who continue to point the finger at the dairy industry for our climate woes.
Unlike other sectors, farmers spend a huge amount of their time on positive action and sustainability, dedicating much more of their energy and resources than the average citizen to caring for nature.
Farmers now need certainty that they will be supported in their transition and that their efforts will not go unrewarded.
From Michael Moynihan TD, Co. Cork.