BIOL20050 - GHG reduction on irish farms

what percentage of Irish national emissions does Irish agriculture account for?

33% national

- 9% EU

what are the 2 main contributors to ammonia emissions in ireland?

1. dairy and beef (80%)

2. pig and poultry (18%)

what is a carbon budget?

the total amount of emissions that may be emitted in the state during a 5 year period, measured in carbon footprint.

briefly outline the cuts in emissions being made for the next 3 carbon budgets

1. 2021-2025: -4.8%

2. 2026-2030: -8.3%

3. 2031-2035: -3.5%

in 2020 where were we in the EU emissions per capita and by gas chart?

second, behind luxembourg

list the 3 highest GHG emissions in irish agriculture 2022

1. methane (72%)

2. Nitrous oxide (25%)

3. CO2 (3%)

why did Teagasc set up the Climate Action Strategy 2022-2030?

1. there are massive emission cuts required in agri-sector

2. teagasc can lead the research

3. teagasc will provide support for farmers in policy, incentives and education

list 3 principles of sustainable management

1. think in cycles instead of input output

2. think variability e.g grass needs nutrients at various times in the year, stock with nutrients at those times instead of year round

3. monitor the situation using scientific equipment

give 1 example of creating cycles in irish agriculture

nutrient management

1. symbiotic N-fixation: legumes fix nitrogen that is released into soil, grow grass-legume mixtures

2. place nitrogen deep into the soil to prevent wash-off

3. precisely match nutrients to plant needs

what is the sustainability digital platform?

essentially capturing farm data to be analysed and then used to create an action plan to reduce emissions

4 key principles in the sustainability digital platform

1. maximise use of existing databases

2. permissions from farmers

3. no duplication, one source

4. verified data

5. scientific oversight

list the 3 pillars of climate action in agriculture

1. signpost advisory programme

2. sustainability digital platform

3. national centre for agri-food climate research and innovation

what is a signpost farm and a demo farmer?

signpost farms are working towards a more sustainable future

demo farmers apply new scientific findings to their farm and spread the news to other farmers