IRISH AGRICULTURE HAS been a cornerstone of the country for thousands of years. Our dairy farmers produce some of the highest quality dairy in the world, delivering €6.8bn to the economy each year, but the Irish dairy industry has a much bigger story to tell – one about addressing climate change.
Our farmers are the custodians of our land. Nurturing pastures, maintaining hedges and caring deeply about their animals. Over time this responsibility has seen them face numerous changes and challenges, but none more pressing than the current ones in the face of the global climate crisis.
Emissions for agriculture require a 25% reduction by 2030, and EU water quality regulation requires that the Irish state counters reductions in water quality in large part caused by nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) from agricultural sources.
Across Ireland 17,500 family farms are employing innovative technologies and practices that are designed to reduce agriculture’s environmental footprint, both in terms of GHG emissions and water quality impacts. The goals are challenging, but the industry as a whole is focused on its targets and on implementing the changes that are needed to meet them.
Take the National Dairy Council’s quiz and see how much you know about the things that are making Irish dairy more environmentally sustainable.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say