New €1.5bn scheme to encourage farmers to pursue environmentally-friendly practices
Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaking at the announcement of the new national agri-environment scheme to be known as the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (Acres). Picture: Fennell Photography
A new €1.5bn scheme has been launched to pay farmers for environmentally-friendly farming practices.
The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (Acres) will see up to 50,000 farmers eligible to apply for grants of up to €10,500, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin saying that the agriculture sector has a "crucial and inescapable role" to play in helping the country reach its climate change targets.
The Acres scheme will run from 2023 until 2027 and will work similarly to the Green, Low-Carbon, Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS), which allows universal entry by farmers. However, there are two entry approaches in the proposed new scheme.
The first is an Acres 'general approach', available nationally, which offers a range of measures (both targeted and general).
The second is an Acres co-operation approach, available to farmers in eight defined high-priority geographical areas — the Burren; Donegal; east south-east; mid-west southern uplands; north Connacht-Ulster; north-west Connacht; south Mayo-Connemara; and west Cork-Kerry.
All farmers who apply under the Basic Payment Scheme will have the opportunity to apply for Acres, with the approach for which they are eligible determined by the location of their land.
An expected 20,000 farmers in the eight areas engaging with the new scheme through the co-operation project teams will benefit from higher payment rates, up to a maximum of €10,500 per year, with an average payment of around €7,400.
The remaining farmers participating in the general option are expected to receive a maximum payment of around €7,300, with an average payment of €5,000.
With the Government set to announce sectoral targets for cutting carbon emissions in the coming weeks, the Taoiseach said that agriculture would play a key role in meeting those.
"Globally, we need to dramatically reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we’re putting into the atmosphere to have any realistic hope of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, keep our ecosystems functioning, and ensure that our planet is safe and liveable for generations to come," he said.
"Biodiversity has been moving in the wrong direction for many years, but our farmers are uniquely positioned to help arrest and reverse climate change.
"Acres and the initiative we are launching today will deliver on that ambition."
Agriculture accounts for around a third of Irish emissions and the industry will be asked to cut those by 22% to 30% in the targets, though sources suggest that this may fall on the lower end. This would mean other sectors would face having to achieve more ambitious targets.
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue declined to say on Tuesday which level of cuts he favoured, but said that as a country, "we have to look at how maximise the amount of food we produce and minimise the emissions".
He said that was a "balance" that would have to be found.
On the scheme, Mr McConalogue said it would put "real money" in the pockets of farmers.
"It’s real money for real farm families, and represents the clear commitment from this Government to back farm families."
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