ICSA Rural Development chair Edmond Phelan has warned that Ireland is at risk of meeting its emissions targets at the expense of rural communities, food security, and the future of farming. “It is all very well defining success by hitting targets, but what happens when we look around and realise there are no farmers left on the land? We cannot afford to lose the people, the communities, and the generations of farming knowledge that make food production possible in this country,” he said.

Mr Phelan was speaking following the Agriculture and Climate Change Conference, which was held in Dublin Castle yesterday, 5 June.

 Continuing, Mr Phelan said, “There appears to be a complete lack of joined-up thinking when it comes to reaching our climate goals. Farmers are being squeezed from all sides - expected to cut outputs, and compete for land with energy production, solar farms, biomass, and rewetting etc. At the same time, sectors like aviation face little scrutiny. The Dublin Airport Authority wants to increase passenger numbers by 25%, but where is the climate accountability there? It all adds up to farmers becoming increasingly frustrated by a system that demands more and more from them, with little in return.

 There is an excessive fixation on agricultural emissions, while the carbon being sequestered every day on farms - through hedgerows, grasslands, and soils - is being completely ignored. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in particular, shows no real interest in acknowledging this reality. It’s a clear case of not being able to see the forest for the trees, and farmers are expected to just accept that policy is being shaped without seeing the full picture.”

 Mr Phelan said that food security must not be forgotten in the climate debate. “We cannot lose sight of the fact that there is a growing global population to feed. We need climate plans that reflect the complexity of land use, respects the role of farmers, and gives them real tools to be a bigger part of the solution. Farmers want to play their part, but that goodwill will evaporate if they continue to feel vilified rather than supported.”