The role of beef animals in achieving net-zero emissions targets has been discussed by a panel of experts at an event organised by EIT Food North-West, ABP Group and Zoetis in Dublin today (Thursday, March 16).
Ireland is in a good place in terms of emissions as one of the most sustainable countries for beef and dairy production in Europe and worldwide, agriculture sustainability manager for Ireland and Poland at ABP Food Group, Stephen Connolly said.
Since 2015 carbon emissions on Irish beef farms declined by 9%, according to Connolly, who, however, emphasised that more has to be done to accelerate this reduction and to use more of the currently available technologies on farms.
Speaking to Agriland, he said that in collaboration with Bord Bia, the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), Teagasc and the wider beef industry, a 25% emissions reduction can be achieved.
Beef production
Connolly stressed the importance of suckler beef animals for the production of beef in Ireland at the event titled “The Role of Livestock in Achieving Net-Zero Targets”.
He said a lot of the research coming from the ABP Demo Farm in Co. Carlow, whether it is genetics, grassland management, multi species, or soil health, that all can be translated to suckler beef.
“Dairy beef and suckler beef complement each other because we have a seasonal production system. A lot of our calves are born in February, March and April, and dairy beef animals will finish slightly younger on average.
“Having both systems allows for a continued supply of beef throughout the year,” Connolly, who also highlighted that there are different production systems best suited to parts of the country, said.
Beef enterprise leader with Teagasc at the Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Paul Crosson said farmers need to be provided with a menu of options to enable them to take steps to reduce emissions in their farming systems.
Crosson said that win-win scenarios, which reduce emissions but also increase profitability on beef farms, including better breeding, better fertility, earlier calving, and reduced slaughter age are a key focus.
Teagasc’s Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) provides estimates of the level of activity that might be achieved from each of the measures available to farmers, and gives information about associated costs, he said.
Animal health
Globally, about 20% of productivity is lost due to disease in animals, area veterinary manager at Zoetis, Charles Chavasse, who stressed the importance of having a system to produce more healthy animals, said.
Part of improving the current production system in Ireland includes how animals are fed, the environment they are kept in, and parasite control, but also the use of vaccines, he said.
Speaking about technologies to tackle diseases, he stressed the need for good recording systems. “We can then use genomics as well, and using all that information we can then end up breeding from the right animals.
“Managing those animals correctly can mean that we will end up, hopefully, having less animals to produce more good quality food,” Chavasse said.