IFA happy with Paris outcome on climate

THE Irish farming sector is in a very strong position to produce high quality and environmentally friendly food following the Climate Change Agreement signed in Paris at the weekend, according to senior farming and Government representatives.

Connacht IFA Regional Chairman, Tom Turley, told the Farming Tribune that above all countries in the world, Ireland was ideally placed to produce high quality food in a sustainable manner through the coming years and decades.

“As regards the proposals to grow far more trees, the Government must look seriously at the forestry restriction that applies to around 160,000 hectares of Hen Harrier lands.

“There is also about 30,000 hectares of Bord na Móna cut-away bog that could be utilised for tree planting. What we as farmers need to do is to continue producing high quality, traceable and sustainable food for a growing world population,” said Tom Turley.

He said that Ireland’s grass based production system for meat and milk based produce left it perfectly placed to produce food with a minimal impact on the environment adding that agriculture was critical to world food production.

Last weekend, Minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly, said that the Climate Change Agreement, would not adversely impact on Irish agriculture. The agreement, he said, acknowledged the need for food production for a rising global population.

“Ireland is a very environmentally friendly producer of food and will continue to be. We will continuously reduce our emissions for the agricultural sector. There has to be an acknowledgement that we have to produce food and produce it in an evironmentally friendly way as well,” said Alan Kelly.

IFA Environment Committee Chairman Harold Kingston said that commitments on food security and food production at the Climate Change Summit were ‘significant statements’ that would ensure Ireland’s sustainable model of food production.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.