IFA to hold farming and climate summit in Limerick next week
Farmers recognise the climate challenge and are keen to play their part - "however, it cannot be at the expense of their livelihoods".
The Irish Farmers' Association will be holding a farming and climate summit in Thomond Park next Tuesday.
The event will focus on how the sector can address the climate challenge.
The keynote address for the event will be from the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.
The event will also hear from Teagasc director Frank O'Mara, economist Ciaran Fitzgerald, Teagasc head of the animal and grassland research and innovation programme Laurence Shalloo, climatologist and professor at Maynooth University Peter Thorne, and head of Department of Food Business and Development at Cork University Business School Thia Hennessy.
IFA president Tim Cullinan said that the farming sector faces unprecedented policy challenges, not just on emissions, but from other policies coming down the line from Europe on rewetting through nature restoration laws, the Sustainable Use Directive, the Industrial Emissions Directive, and more.
“The purpose of the summit is to bring farmers together with policymakers to fully understand what is facing us in the context of the value our sector to the economy and in terms of food production,” Mr Cullinan said.
“While we now have a Climate Action Plan set out by the Government, there are huge details to be worked out including what funding the Government intends to provide to help farmers adopt new measures."
Mr Cullinan stressed that farmers recognise the climate challenge and are keen to play their part - "however, it cannot be at the expense of their livelihoods".
“Much greater engagement is needed with farmers to ensure we can farm sustainably while still developing our sector and enhancing the social infrastructure in rural Ireland,” he added.
