Michael Brady. Agricultural Consultant and managing director at Brady Group: Agricultural Consultants & Land Agents. The Lodge, Lee Road, Cork.
Farmers are sick to the teeth of being told what they should be doing on their farms to save the planet.
Everybody from the United Nations, European Union, National Government, various NGO’s right down to faceless keyboard warriors are telling farmers to rewild, regen, become more sustainable and save the planet. If only it was as easy as that. The question is posed ‘is the pen mightier than the plough’ ?
I believe it’s about time these organisations sit up and stat to listen to listen to what farmers actually want, to be part of this plan to save planet earth. I suggest the following (in order of importance) are essential ingredients to bring farmers on board:
1. Financially well rewarded for the effort involved.
2. Actions that require low or minimal demands on labour and time.
3. No financial devaluation of land when planted with trees or habitats.
4. Public acknowledgement and respect for the work done.
5. Low level of bureaucracy in administration of schemes.
6. Schemes which are complimentary to all existing farm enterprises.
7. Fair and reasonable monitoring / inspection / penalty protocols.
What is Carbon Farming?
The European Commission defines carbon farming as “a green business model that rewards land managers (farmers) for taking up improved land management practices, resulting in the increase of carbon sequestration in living biomass, dead organic matter, and soils by enhancing carbon capture and/or reducing the release of carbon into the atmosphere, in respect of ecological principles”.
In simple terms this means any farming practice that reduces the level of Green House Gases (GHG). There are three main actions in carbon farming:
1. Removal: Sequestration and storage of carbon in soils and harvested products i.e. rewet bogs.
2. Avoidance: Preventing the loss of already stored carbon i.e. avoiding emissions i.e. min-till, no ploughing.
3. Reduction: Limit the emissions created by work on farms i.e. reduce methane from ruminants.
By adopting specific practices, farmers can help mitigate climate change while also improving soil health, increasing biodiversity, and hopefully maintaining or boosting farm productivity. The concept is simple, through various on-farm management practices farmers can enhance the natural ability of soils and plants to absorb and store more carbon. Irish Agricultural/Forestry practices that come within the scope of Carbon Farming are as follows:
o Agroforestry system establishment
o Maintenance of soil organic carbon
o Livestock and manure management
o Nutrient management on grasslands and croplands
o Organic soil/peatland management
We know Ireland’s agricultural sector is a significant contributor to the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately forty percent of the total emissions. The majority of these emissions come from methane produced by ruminant livestock and nitrous oxide from fertilized soils.
The good news is that actions to reduce emissions has already started with the commencement of the EU CAP 2023-2027 strategic plan for Ireland. EU and national premia and subsidies are now all heavily linked to carrying out various climate and environmentally measures. Yes, there is a long way to go meet a Green House Gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets of 25% reduction by 2030 and 50% by 2050 . On a positive note, Ireland’s greenhouse emissions are at their lowest in 30 years, according to the latest figures from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Almost every sector showed a fall in 2023, contributing to an overall reduction of 6.8%, agriculture decreased by 4.6%.
We have not yet come up with a ‘Carbon Farming Enterprise’, to consider as an alternative way of farming. Agro-forestry, commercial on-farm forestry and wetting of bogs are spoken of as good possibilities, but why are they not developed into viable enterprises for framers to consider presently. We need to fast-track and promote viable enterprises that meet the needs of all farmers in this area.
The trend of EU subsidies and premia requiring more time and effort from farmers, before the payments arrive in the farm business bank account is causing many to question the viability of their traditional beef and sheep farming enterprises. This is the opportunity for our researchers to develop specific carbon farming enterprises that are profitable, tax efficient and low on labour and time requirement.
In the meantime, ‘carbon farming’ is limping along by coexisting within the traditional farming enterprises, until we agree on a clear vision for our countryside between 2050 and 2100.
Despite it’s potential, the widespread adoption of carbon farming in Ireland faces several challenges. One of the primary obstacles is the lack of standardised methods for measuring, reporting, and verifying (MRV) carbon sequestration on farms. Without reliable MRV systems, it is difficult to quantify the benefits of carbon farming and reward farmers for their efforts.
To address this, the LIFE Carbon Farming project, led by Teagasc, is working on developing a robust MRV process. This project aims to establish reference levels for greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farms and determine baseline rates for carbon sequestration. By creating a standardized MRV system, the project hopes to facilitate greater participation in carbon markets and attract funding for climate actions on farms.
The need for education and training is another challenge, farmers in general are unfamiliar with carbon farming practices and are hesitant to adopt new techniques. Private consultants and Teagasc advisors are presently at breaking point with an overload of work from the plethora of existing schemes. The number of advisors needs to increase.
Carbon farming as a stand-alone farm enterprise or embedded/coexisting with existing farm enterprises is here to stay. The sooner all organisations understand the needs and wants of farmers who own and farm the land in this country, the sooner the planet will be saved.