Conflicting messages - Farming and climate change

THERE seem to be conflicting messages in the Irish Examiner/ICMSA opinion poll on how farming contributes to climate change.

More than 60% of farmers have taken measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions but just half

accept that farming is a negative contributor to the crisis.

Incredibly — there is no other word — 30% imagine that farming has no negative impact on climate change. Donald Trump may indeed have a constituency in Ireland.

With his usual assurance, the architect of Irish Water, European commissioner Phil Hogan said the poll showed the “lazy narrative” that farmers were not helping combat climate change was wrong.

Mr Hogan suggested farmers have cut emissions by 23% since 1990. CSO figures show that, in 1990, farming and forestry were responsible for 37% of Ireland’s emissions.

The CSO records that that figure had fallen to 33% in 2014, a year before milk quotas ended.

Climate change is far too important an issue to fall into the urban/rural divide. It will affect farmers at least as much as it will affect urban communities.

National food production plans do not suggest that the farm sector, or their government partners, accept this. Much, much more, as recent EPA water reports confirmed, needs to be done.

A sector so dependent on subsidies — more than €1bn a week under CAP — might be wise to consider if that support can be guaranteed unless far more radical change is delivered.