Stephen Cadogan: Agriculture only No 3 in 2015 emissions increase

Some farmers found it ironic to recently hear An Taisce, which works to preserve and protect Ireland’s natural and built heritage, criticising the Environmental Protection Agency for exempting agriculture from the same scrutiny demanded of every other sector in Ireland.

An Taisce also took a swipe at the “Ireland Inc branded subsidised and emissions- intensive beef production”, and “exporting baby milk powder to sell to Chinese mothers as sustainable food production”.

An Taisce welcomed the EPA’s call for “transformational change” to deal with climate change and other risks to our health and natural environment, but slammed the Agency for saying Ireland’s largest emitting sector, agriculture, should “approach carbon neutrality” at “some vague future date”, as long as “it does not compromise capacity for sustainable food production”.