OVER THE AUGUST bank holiday I attended the Bonniconlon Agricultural Show, in the foothills of the Ox Mountains, six miles from Ballina, Co. Mayo.

Bonniconlon is a small village but they manage to put on one of the largest celebrations of farming and rural coming together in Ireland. They do this through the commitment and co-operation of a small army of volunteers and farmers and when the sun shines and the rain hides, it is a glorious day for people far and wide. This kind of achievement shows what can be done when people who know and care work together for a common goal.

Bonniconlon is a symbol of a vibrant, interconnected way of life. That interconnection relies on sophisticated networks of community but also on interconnectedness with our natural environment. In the hills and wetlands of Mayo and all around Ireland, nature dictates the pace and practice – not the agriculturalist. It is ironic that as many people become disconnected from the reality of producing their own food and caring for the land, more people are starting to see farming as something that is bad for the environment and that threatens our future.

This is something that troubles many farmers who feel their care of the land and good husbandry have been sidelined by an oversimplified narrative. One that seeks the reduction of livestock numbers in Ireland while ignoring increases in other parts of the world with poor environmental records.

Importing the problem

There are no simple solutions. Nature is highly complex and finely balanced. Beyond the local, we must recognise that this is a global issue and the solutions agreed must be honest and trustworthy. 

There is nothing to be gained by substituting a suckler beef cow in Ireland with a cow from another country. There could be a major negative – especially if the replaced cow is in other countries like Brazil where more rainforests are being cleared to make way for the cow.

In 2017, the EU Commission issued a report “Grazing for Carbon”. This report detailed how extensive farming systems (which account for most of our suckler farmers) are carbon neutral (if not actually sequestering carbon). So, instead of focusing merely on the cow, we need to focus on the how.

In addition to its environmental credentials, the suckler sector is a vital component of our rural communities. This was clearly outlined in a 2019 report from Professor Michael Wallace of UCD. This report details how activity in the suckler sector contributes €2.9 billion to the economy and supports 52,000 jobs. In areas of the country where other economic activity may be limited, environmentally benign suckler farming is the backbone of the economy.

Slide 9 via Wallace report. UCD UCD

If we continue to push for a reduction in the suckler sector, there is an increasing risk of undermining the global objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and addressing biodiversity loss while also increasing the risk of rural decline. Any such decline runs the risk of a double negative. First, for the community that people are leaving in terms of reduced economic activity and services but also for the larger urban areas where they will inevitably migrate. Here there will be more pressure on services, housing, and schools, all of which will have to be supplied and come at a carbon cost.

Upland farming

Beyond the challenges faced by our suckler farmers, we are also very concerned with recent comments in regard to upland farming. Here, there are ongoing calls for the removal of stock and in particular sheep from our hills. In commentary on this, reference is often made to the overgrazing of commonages.

This is something that happened over 20 years ago and was addressed, through Commonage Framework Plans. These plans were revised in 2015 to address the swing towards under-grazing that had developed in these areas and saw the introduction of minimum, as well as maximum stocking rates, to manage landscapes.

As we move into a new common agricultural policy (CAP) cycle, these stocking rates remain in place so those promoting the removal of sheep from our upland areas are at variance with the science. This science comes from both the Department of Agriculture and the National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS).

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Preserving farming heritage

Our hills are managed landscapes. Remove sheep or other livestock and we will see an overgrowth of scrub, strong heather, purple moor grass (Molinia), and much more.

Such a landscape will be a significant fire hazard, fires that will emit large amounts of carbon while destroying biodiversity.

Livestock, especially our sheep and cattle are not the problem when it comes to protecting biodiversity on our hills – they are the solution. Remove them and we will pay a heavy price environmentally and socially.

Similar to pulling all strands of a community together to deliver a large community event like Bonniconlon Agricultural Show, it is vital that we listen to the people who know the ground and what it takes to care for it.

Suckler and sheep farmers have always bowed to the will of nature because natural constraints are part of their farming life. It is vital that we don’t destroy the environmentally benign practices of Irish suckler and sheep farms whilst replacing them with food from feedlots and degraded lands in far-off places.

Vincent Roddy is a farmer and is the President of the Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association (INHFA). This association was established in 2015 to represent farmers operating on our hills and in high nature-value farmland areas. Many of our members are operating extensive suckler beef and sheep farms that through sustainable farming practices are playing a critical role in protecting and enhancing environmental output.