Enhanced research is “paramount” to ensuring the sustainability of livestock systems, Minister of State Martin Heydon has said, while highlighting the importance of livestock farming in the Irish agriculture sector.
A total of 90% of farms in Ireland involve livestock farming, while 88% of gross agricultural output comes from livestock-based products, according to Minister Heydon.
Particularly in the western half of Ireland, livestock plays a vital socio-economic role, as extensive beef and sheep farming enterprises are the “optimum systems for the climate and land type”, he said.
The minister with responsibility for research and development at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) was speaking at the 12th meeting of the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL) in Dublin today (Thursday, October 6).
Food security
At a global level, Minister Heydon said livestock plays a key role in meeting the triple challenge of providing food security and nutrition; supporting livelihoods; and improving environmental sustainability.
The latest agricultural outlook by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Developments (OECD) reports that agricultural productivity will need to increase by 28% to achieve zero hunger by 2030.
“We must provide nutrition and food security for our growing world population, while reducing the level of inputs and lowering the impact on the environment. This will require major change in practice and technology.
“The transformation required can only happen through generation of new knowledge and science, and enhanced translation of that into concrete action on our farms and in our food businesses,” Minister Heydon said.
Research and innovation
Ireland’s Food Vision 2030 strategy guides the DAFM’s approach to research, the minister said, emphasising the need to move to a challenge-focused research system.
The minister outlined environmental sustainability and ecosystem services, and improved productivity and efficiency through the use of precision agriculture as areas for further research.
In order to achieve greater resource use efficiency, reduce food waste and enhance food safety and consumer trust, the minister stressed the importance of deepening international collaboration.
International engagement is particularly important in terms of climate-related research and innovation for agricultural livestock, according to the minster.
“Working together in the spirit of partnership with common purpose, I am convinced our science and innovation, and community can provide solutions to reconcile our food system with the needs of our farmers, climate, environment, and our agri-food industry.
“I want to emphasise the positive attributes of livestock systems, but also highlight the need for continuous evolution and improvements over the coming years to ensure they remain to the fore of sustainable food systems,” Minister Heydon said.