Ireland's farmers committing millions of ACRES to improving biodiversity

Irish Examiner

19-05-2025

From bats to birds, small mammals to native trees, more than 54,000 farmers across the country are playing a vital role in improving biodiversity through participation in a flagship agri-environment scheme under Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan for 2023-2027.
A quarter of all agricultural land here, 1.1 million hectares, forms part of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES). As well as improving water quality, and preserving habitats and landscapes, a key aim of the €1.5 billion scheme is to halt and reverse biodiversity decline.
While the scheme involves nature-friendly management of farms nationwide, farmers in high-priority geographical areas are supported by local ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) teams.
Leitrim's landscape, for example, is seeing a new chapter in biodiversity conservation thanks to the collaborative efforts of local farmers and the ACRES Breifne Co-operation (CP) team. Suckler farmer Seamus Cornyn, whose land borders Lough Allen near Dowra, offered his farm as an ACRES CP demonstration site, aiming to inspire others to take practical steps for nature.
With support from the Breeding Waders European Innovation Partnership, along with the ACRES Breifne CP team, Seamus recently established a series of 'wader scrapes' — small, shallow ponds designed as feeding grounds for threatened birds like curlew and snipe. These birds, once common in the area, have suffered dramatic declines and are now red-listed in Ireland.
Snipes have suffered dramatic declines and are now red listed in Ireland. Photo: Courtesy of ACRES Breifne CP Team
Installation of wader scrapes is supported under ACRES 'Non-Productive Investments'. These scrapes encourage invertebrate life, providing essential food for waders, and their muddy margins are perfect for probing beaks. Within days of creating the scrapes, trail cameras captured snipe and other wildlife using the new habitat, illustrating the impact of targeted, well-planned conservation and the crucial role of local teams in supporting farmers to restore biodiversity while maintaining productive land.
Meanwhile, farmers in Wicklow and the Mid West are increasingly turning to new technology to help improve the nature value of their farms. In Munster / South Connacht, farmers and the local CP Team, are using static ultra-sonic monitoring surveys and data gathered as part of the ACRES results-based scoring programme to reconnect isolated populations of Lesser Horseshoe Bats to increase genetic diversity and expand the foraging habitat for this protected species.
The Burren and Aran Islands are a well-known biodiversity stronghold boasting over 70% of Ireland's native species. The ACRES Burren Aran Co-operation Project Team (BUA CP) works with farmers in managing and conserving the rich ecological, archaeological, geological and cultural heritage of the Burren, Aran Islands and South Galway. Over 60% of the farmers in the area are involved in ACRES covering 940 km2.
During the summers of 2023 and 2024, over 17,000 parcels of land were scored by farm advisors to give a measure of environmental quality of the farmland. Results showed 8,700ha of farmland within the ACRES Burren Aran zone scored a 9 or 10 (out of 10), illustrating the exceptional biodiversity in species-rich winterages, meadows, woodland and wetlands managed by farmers in the region.
Old Irish Goat. Photo: Courtesy of ACRES West Connacht CP Team.
On Achill Island the ACRES West Connacht CP Team is working with locals on a pilot farm project to eradicate Gunnera tinctoria (Wild or Chilean Rhubarb). Invasive species like Gunnera tinctoria take over a site and can outcompete the native species, which negatively impacts biodiversity. Once established, invasive species are difficult to control and require expensive, labour-intensive treatment. It can take years to re-establish native species to the affected areas after an infestation.
As part of the ACRES Co-operation approach, a pilot study established last year set out to assess possible options to improve and develop appropriate and environmentally sensitive management solutions to control wild rhubarb on agricultural land in Ireland.
The farm study covers an area that has a severe 15-year infestation of Gunnera. Up to now, foliar spraying of herbicide has been the main method of controlling the plant on Achill, but because of its size and large umbrella-shaped leaves, it requires high volumes of herbicide solution, most of which washes off the plant directly into the ground and nearby watercourses.
A more environmentally-friendly method is to apply herbicide directly to freshly-cut stems and into the root system but this is not without challenges because the Gunnera growth is dense, and grows to over 2.5m in summer.
While the pilot will continue long-term, it is already showing positive results. Targeted grazing by the Old Irish Goat provides an effective method of clearing the Gunnera leaves and stems, preferring to browse on the leaves than on the available grass, opening up the site to allow for easier and safer access to the stems and root system. This reduces the labour and time involved in cutting and treating the stems.
Nationwide, farmers in ACRES have so far committed to an array of actions to improve biodiversity including installing nearly 14,000 barn owl nest boxes, leaving 57,000 hectares of grassland undisturbed to support overwintering geese and swans including the Whooper Swan, Greenland White Fronted Goose, Barnacle Goose and Brent Goose, and planting more than half a million native trees including 26,000 traditional Irish apple trees.
ACRES is the national agri-environment climate measure under Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027. The Scheme is jointly funded by the European Union and the National Exchequer. More information on ACRES is available on the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine website.