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Some key points from the #ClimateChangeAdisoryCouncil working paper on "Climate Change Mitigation and the Irish Agriculture and Land Use Sector"
1. Ireland is not food independent - exports of meat far exceed domestic consumption while a high proportion of cereals, vegetables and fruit are imported. #foodsecurity
2. The "value-added focus" of #FoodWise2025 may have resulted in a #rebound effect, with the re-investment of income into production expansion.
3. Ireland's contribution to global food production is "relatively minor", while the expansion of Irish food production has been "rationalised on the basis of the low-carbon footprint of Irish production systems and potential for #carbonleakage".
4. Research suggests Ireland has a relatively low carbon footprint for dairy production, while Irish beef production systems have an average to low carbon footprint. The difficulty in estimating leakage rates for the agricultural sector was acknowledged.
5. It was found that "there is insufficient evidence to provide a definitive answer to whether reduction in agriculture in Ireland would lead to a net increase in global greenhouse gas emissions".
6. "Supplying growing export markets at the expense of national environmental integrity and reputation, is unwise, regardless of a potential efficiency or leakage. In all cases, agricultural production should occur within local environmental constraints".
7. "In conclusion, rationalisation for the maintenance of the dairy and beef sectors in Ireland based on carbon efficiency and impact on global emissions is not well supported"
8. "Agriculture cannot be exempt from addressing localised environmental degradation or contributing to emission reductions".
9. The paper states that "any failure to meet emission reduction targets or reverse environmental degradation caused by agriculture may have considerable consequences regarding Ireland's international image, greatly undercutting programmes such as @OriginGreen".
