Congratulations to the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) for hosting a tremendously successful ‘carbon and beyond’ conference during the past week.
One point that did jar with me slightly, though, was the assertion made by numerous speakers and delegates to the effect that agriculture is now on its journey to carbon ‘net zero’.
But this is not so. Yes there has been lots of talk about what needs to be done. But, in truth, signs of real action being taken at farm level are pretty thin on the ground – up to this point.
Moving towards carbon ‘net zero’
I would suggest this will only start to happen when, for instance, all the meat plants take the decision to actually introduce a 24-month age specification on cattle presented for slaughter.
In other words, animals coming in at older ages will receive a price penalty.
Dairy processers could, quite easily, take a similar step by insisting that only farms with a carbon footprint below a specified value will receive the full base price for their milk.
In truth, the lack of active involvement by the various processing sectors in the climate change debate has been very telling. At the end of the day, the meat plants and dairies will be on the frontline when it comes to delivering real progress, where this matter is concerned.
And, I think at this stage, it would be very important to hear what they actually have to say on these fundamentally important issues.
Funding for climate measures
A key factor within the climate change debate is the future direction of support funding for Irish farmers.
The other big, unanswered question is the future balance between food output and future emissions levels.
I totally buy into the argument put forward by the likes of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) to the effect that Ireland must play its part in helping to secure future global food levels.
Where is the ‘climate change’ sense in Europe importing produce from the southern hemisphere when all of this food can be sourced locally?
Meanwhile agri-emission reduction targets set for 2030 start to take on real significance with every day that passes. Or will this turn out to be the case at all? The current stasis, where the establishment of a tangible pathway to net zero is concerned, represents the worst of all worlds.
It is certainly giving farmers the distinct impression that if they sit tight and do nothing the issue of climate change might quietly fade away.
Meanwhile the world might turn its attention to some other pending disaster that has no direct bearing on production agriculture at all.