Irish farmers reducing global milk footprint

The recent expansion of the Irish dairy industry has reduced the global footprint of milk production by about four million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), assuming that Irish milk displaced milk with a global average carbon footprint. So said Teagasc researchers Laurence Shalloo and Padraig French in their presentation at last week’s Teagasc Dairy Open Day, at Moorepark, Co Cork.

They said there is considerable debate about the impacts of agriculture in climate change policy, the nitrates directive, ammonia emissions ceilings, and biodiversity — all areas that require greater focus within the farm gate.