GAINS HAVE BEEN made in organic farming rates but diets need to change to keep up the trend, while forestry has become a source of carbon emissions, the State’s climate watchdog has said.

The Climate Change Advisory Council’s latest progress report on the 2024 Climate Action Plan (CAP24) shows continued progress towards Ireland’s climate targets with 20 out of 33 new actions completed on time, but there is still work to be done when it comes to forestry and organic farming.

The plan includes a list of recommendations for the Government and the relevant sectors, ranging from practical to technical measures.

“We need to look at our diet,” CCAC Chair Marie Donnelly told RTÉ  Radio this morning.

“We acknowledge that organic farming in Ireland has trebled since this whole process started. And I think Government, we have to acknowledge the incentives they have put in place [and] have worked.

“And congratulations to the farmers. We now have 5% of our farmers who are organic farmers,” she said.

“The response that we’re looking for from retailers and suppliers is to ensure they have sustainable products available, suitably labeled, so that consumers can make the choice and to support people in their dietary selection.

“I suppose in the simplest sense, we need to look at our diet, follow the international guidelines in terms of diet, and in a now overarching sense, reduce the sugar that we all eat and increase the amount of fruit and vegetables.”

In addition to the agriculture sector’s continued high emissions, the Council has expressed concern about Ireland’s forestry, with forests becoming a source of emissions as many trees approach harvesting age but afforestation rates are insufficient to restore the balance of losing stored carbon.

Forestry and soil are valuable tools in fighting climate change as, under the right conditions, they can store carbon and be a net source of emissions reductions, also known as a carbon sink.

However, Ireland’s land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector is currently understood to be a net source of emissions. The sector’s net emissions increased significantly in 2023 to account for 9.3% of total national emissions.

Donnelly acknowledged that ”Forestry is a real challenge. ”Our forest is in decline.”

“The funding is there, the mechanism is there,” she said. 

“We really need to invest in and support the rollout of forests. This is a conversation that needs to take place. The government needs to have a dialogue with foresters, with farmers and with communities about the roll out of forestry, how best to do it, where to do it, and support people in that endeavor.”

Meanwhile, the agriculture sector is the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions, making up 34.3% of Ireland’s emissions in 2023.

Agriculture emissions fell by 4.6% in 2023 compared to 2022, though that represents only a 2.9% fall in emissions since 2018.

The CCAC says that decreased use of nitrogen fertiliser and increased use of protected urea is encouraging, contributing to a 16.9% decrease in agriculture emissions of nitrous oxide compared to 2018.

However, to stay within its overall sectoral emissions ceiling, the agriculture must fully implement all the climate mitigation actions assigned to it in the Climate Action Plan.

The CCAC notes that high volumes of rainfall over the recent autumn, winter and spring seasons caused “significant disruption” to livestock and tillage in 2023 and the first half of 2024.

“Fields were flooded, and farmers faced difficulties gaining access to plant and harvest crops and had to delay the turn-out of animals to grazing,” its report says.

“Ongoing monitoring and analysis will be required to fully assess the implications for resilience and need for adaptation at farm and infrastructure level within the sector.”

The Council’s recommendations include:

• Reaching target carcase livestock weights at an earlier age
• Meat processors should adjust bonus payments to incentivise earlier finishing age
• Increased uptake of protected urea fertilisers
• Approved feed additives indoors
• Incorporation of additives in slurry that reduce emissions
• Government should complete and implement the Land Use Review
• Government should develop a robust implementation plan in Q1 2025 for the Biomethane Strategy
• Government should engage with landowners and communities on role of forestry in achieving climate and biodiversity goals
• The forthcoming Just Transition Commission should consider a sector-specific Just Transition Dialogue with farmers, rural workers and communities
• Government, retailers and consumer organisations should inform the public about how to make low-cost, healthy and sustainable diet choices
• Government should provide resources for departments and local authorities to help communities implement nature-based solutions to manage flood risk

Marie Donnelly said in a statement that the government “needs to communicate the opportunities and incentivise proven measures for farmers, suppliers and the wider industry”.

“Key areas of impactful gains include the accelerated roll out of protected urea fertiliser, increased uptake of methane reducing feed and manure additives and also the early finishing of livestock,” Donnelly said.

“Positive news is that the Organic Farming Scheme has helped to treble the area organically farmed in Ireland since 2021,” she said, adding: “Incentives and supports are required to improve land management practices across all land uses to enhance resilience to the impacts of climate change and improve biodiversity with measures such as water table management, mixed swards, hedgerows and woodlands extension.”