Planet cannot afford a ‘wait and see’ approach

Ireland will need to make substantial cuts in our emissions of greenhouse gases, for our own sake and for the sake of millions of vulnerable farmers around the world. This will not be possible unless we re-think our entire approach to agriculture, writes Hans Zomer

ALMOST 50 years ago, Robert F Kennedy visited Cape Town in South Africa where he delivered his “Ripple of Hope” speech, which many believe was the best public address of his life.

At that time, his plea for more responsible and accountable government was a plea to abandon the injustice of the apartheid system, but many of his words have a resonance in today’s world, too.