Call for stronger farm supports as Ireland takes leadership role in climate-smart agriculture

Irish Examiner

11-06-2025

Department-funded research unveiled at the Dublin conference dedicated to addressing the intricate relationship between agriculture and climate change has revealed a calcium-peroxide-based feed additive that can cut indoor methane emissions by 10-28%, depending on diet, inclusion rate, and animal type.
Notably, one study showed that RumenGlas was linked to a 12% improvement in growth rate and feed efficiency, alongside a 10% reduction in methane emissions - the first time this dual benefit has been observed in Ireland.
Since 2020, the Department of Agriculture has invested over €48m in research to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from farming. This includes 28 active projects and 132 research positions created in 2023–2024.
The conference, titled 'Agriculture and Climate Change: Science into Action' took place at Dublin Castle. Hosted by minister for agriculture, food and the marine, Martin Heydon, and minister of state with responsibility for research, Noel Grealish, it included 500 delegates who heard from national and international scientists on the latest research to reduce agricultural emissions and enhance carbon storage on farms across the country.
It takes place alongside a meeting of the Global Research Alliance for Agricultural Greenhouse Gases, which Ireland, through the department, is currently chairing.
In his opening address, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the conference represented building a "shared path forward", and one that "ensures the next generation of farmers inherits not only a liveable planet but also a thriving, competitive, and respected agricultural sector".
He said:
The transition to climate-smart agriculture does not need to be a burden. It is a chance to safeguard what matters most — our land, our water, our food, our planet and our future. It is a chance to show that climate action and agricultural excellence can go hand in hand — and that Irish farmers can lead the way.
Addressing attendees, minister Heydon said: 'Reducing emissions from agriculture is a monumental challenge, but one that the sector is taking seriously, evidenced by the huge interest in today's conference.
'We have assembled some of the best national and international researchers, whose findings are providing the practices and technologies we need to reduce emissions, while continuing to produce food. Research funding from my department has supported world-leading agri-climate research in universities, Teagasc and other institutes across the country.
"In 2023 and 2024, this funding created 132 new research positions in agriculture and climate research across 28 projects. This ensures we have some of the best research talent in the world working on these complex scientific areas.
'This conference will see a wide range of exciting research updates, including, for example, Irish research demonstrating the potential for a 10-28% reduction in methane from a feed additive, depending on the animal type, diet, and the inclusion rate of the additive.
"In addition, and for the first time in Ireland, one study has demonstrated both an animal performance benefit from feeding the additive, as well as its ability to reduce methane. The challenge going forward is to bring these tools into widespread use on Irish farms – and to do that, we are working with farmers every step of the way.
"Our farmers are innovators and are ready to lead on climate action – not just for Ireland, but as an example to the world.'
Other research highlighted at the conference included new data from the department-funded ROADMAP project suggests genetic selection can reduce methane emissions by up to 20% with no compromise on desirable traits like growth or fertility, and big climate gains from bio-stimulants and fertiliser technologies.
For example, an algal-based bio-stimulant could lower chemical nitrogen needs by 20%, while protected urea and nitrification inhibitors can cut grassland emissions by 70–89%.
However, speaking at the conference, farm organisations warned that farmers needed to be adequately supported to meet the ambitious goals set out in climate targets.
Irish Farmers' Association president Francie Gorman said: 'There are lots of targets, reports, projections, documents, conferences, etc, but no properly-funded plan to support farmers to reduce emissions or even to reduce the regulatory roadblocks hindering farmers trying to make environmental improvements on their farms.
Examples of this include a biomethane strategy which is not fit for purpose; delays in implementing planning exemptions for nutrient storage; delays in ACRES payments; failure to properly support the tillage sector; a totally failed forestry programme; and an absence of initiatives to support the adoption of feed or slurry additives.
'The vast majority of farmers on the ground are committed to reducing emissions, but our planning system and the general unwillingness of the State to put proper supports in place is inhibiting them more than helping them,' he said.
Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association president, Denis Drennan, said that despite massive challenges, Irish farmers were "completely engaged" in efforts to address climate change, and the results and data were now showing the fruits of those efforts.
However, Mr Drennan stressed that farmers needed reassurance that those plans still rested on 'the three pillars' of sustainability - economic, environmental, and social.
'There are challenges ahead that will have to be faced and even leaving aside the very significant and unfair anomalies in the accountancy framework used for measuring emissions, the most obvious challenge is the ongoing failure of Government to 'step up' and support farmers in their efforts to carry through the changes that the Government itself is urging on the farmers," he said.
"It's this failure of the Government to support its own policies and recommendations that is hampering even more encouraging results and data.
'Irish agriculture is leading the way globally in meeting the climate challenge, and ICMSA believes that farmers can, and will, do more if properly supported. But that's going to mean that policymakers stop overlooking the daily and real obstacles to farmers as they adopt and change and start 'going at' these obstacles in a meaningful way, whether it's destructive income volatility or animal health or margin-grabbing and unfair corporate and professional practices.
"The Government has a choice: Work with farmers to make more progress or ultimately pay the fines that will be levied because Ireland falls short on the emissions targets that could have been hit if we'd had the support.
"That's the choice, really, and Budget 2026 is where we'll see if the Government understands that choice and has made a decision that is logical on both the environmental and financial fronts," he said.
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