a day ago
Big shift in favour of dairy farming among scenarios proposed in government's land reforms
DRAFT PROPOSALS FROM a land review commissioned by the last government show a major shift towards dairy farming.
The Land Use Review was formed to address future land use in Ireland and making the sector climate neutral up to 2050, and covered issues ranging from emissions from agriculture to how to restore habitats and water bodies across the country.
The draft recommendations – seen by
The Journal
– are likely to cause anger among environmentalists, given disputes of recent years around the environmental pollution arising from intensive dairy farming. Some farmer groups also believe a number of the proposals are unrealistic and may cause frustration for their members.
The proposals have also resulted in alarm for some of those who took part in the process, with a representative from one environmental group arguing that the measures risk being a 'step backwards' for Ireland's climate targets.
One farming representative who took part in the discussions told us they believe many of the recommendations would place a burden on non-dairy farmers.
The intensive nature of dairy farming and its impact on the environment has been of significant concern for environmental groups in recent years, while the proposed shift towards dairy will likely frustrate farmers in the hard-pressed beef sector.
Scenarios for the future
Several of the scenarios submitted to government departments responsible for implementing the recommendations propose a 10:1 ratio of dairy farming to beef farming. The current ratio is estimated to be 3:2 in favour of dairy.
One scenario put forward by the report recommended keeping this more balanced ratio, but with added environmental measures and an emphasis on paying farmers for work maintaining nature.
The report, which follows the second phase of the Land Use Review, was submitted to the Department of Agriculture and Department of Climate, Environment and Energy in recent weeks.
In terms of agriculture's impact on the climate, the sector was the
largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions last year
, making up 34.3% of Ireland's emissions.
While agriculture emissions fell by 4.6% in 2023 when compared to 2022, that still only represented a 2.9% fall in emissions since 2018.
According to sections of the draft document, it states that desired outcomes are to make Irish farming climate neutral and to restore ecosystems, from biodiversity protections to water quality.
One recent
report by the Environmental Protection Agency
found a 'welcome reduction' in water pollution arising from nitrogen used by farmers fertilising their land – although the watchdog said levels were still too high in the dairy farming heartland of the south-east.
Criticism
The draft proposals have been criticised by some of those who took part in the review.
Fintan Kelly, an agriculture policy officer for the Irish Environment Network, took part of the review and said that many of the draft recommendations are 'much more limited in scope' than expected and risk being a 'step backwards' for Ireland's climate targets.
Advertisement
'They seem to be designed primarily to protect business as usual in the intensive dairy sector, by shielding the most profitable, farmers in the country in the wealthiest part of the country that are producing a lot of pollution, greenhouse gasses, but also water pollution because of the big issues with nitrates.'
Kelly added that he feared the review would end up being a 'total disaster' for biodiversity and water quality targets.
The report has higher ambitions for rewetting of bogs, aiming for 90% of peatland to be rewetted by 2050. This is higher than the 70% target under the EU Nature Restoration Law.
But Kelly said this risked 'creating an east-west divide' in the country, where the 'most profitable and least sustainable farmers in the east are allowed to continue as normal while the burden of change is shifted onto the least profitable farmers who also represent the majority of farm families'.
Daniel Long, a member of farming and food policy campaign group Talamh Beo who took part in the review, raised concerns about the direction of the final report.
'If you were from an environmental persuasion or farming persuasion, I think both sides could very much argue that they were dissatisfied. I'm living in the south of the country myself and what you want is fairness across for whatever type of farming you're doing,' Long said.
Long also questioned whether farmers based on the western side of the country may be subject to the 'majority' of the environmental measures, unlike farmers in more dairy focused regions across the east and south.
'If you look at the eastern side, we're the ones with the issues with the water quality and we're the ones with the intensive farming,' Long said.
'So is it fair that the farmers on the western side of the country pay for that? I would say, as a farmer, no. Of course the minister needs to reflect on all of this in the final recommendations.'
Denis Drennan, president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association – one of the largest farming organisations in the country – believes the 10:1 ratios are unrealistic. Drennan said that it will take serious effort to reverse the 'huge problem' of generational renewal, meaning ensuring that retiring farmers have successors to take over from them.
'It's a great success story for the country that we have so many options for young people but it means there's a decreasing number of people willing to take over a farm,' Drennan said.
'The policy review was driven by the Green Party very much, which is fine, but we have to get in touch with reality here,' Drennan added, outlining that reducing emissions needs to be done in a way that is fair to farmers.
As to whether some of the draft scenarios may cause a rift between farmers themselves, Drennan said 'that's there already' for beef and dairy farmers because of a 'huge demand for land' among competing farms.
'A review of our land use is badly needed because at the moment it's taking place in different silos, from forestry, to solar farms, organic farming and more. But you need to get to grips with generation renewal to even make that work.'
When contacted, a spokesperson for the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment said that the final report was submitted to Cabinet ministers across a number of government departments covering climate, housing and agriculture.
'The Ministers, before reporting to government, are currently considering the report,' the spokesperson said.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
