Ms Audrey O'Shea:

We believe there would be carbon leakage, particularly to the Americas and South America where it would be more than double the carbon output per unit of produce produced.

We have looked at various studies into what can be done on farm with respect to promoting renewable energy and agribusiness on farm. Policy on the renewable energy technologies and bio-energy crops would be very important. We do not have the same policies and incentives as the UK or Germany would. Perhaps Ms Joyce-O'Caollai can speak more about that.

There is a joint collaboration at industry level in association with Bord Bia. Teagasc is playing a key role with respect to that with the national sustainability dairy scheme. This is where the industry has come together and we are setting out our own roadmap with respect to an audit-based system of continual improvement. Glanbia Ingredients Ireland Limited, the company I represent, has undergone a pilot for several years - we are probably in our third year. We are fully behind the national scheme. We have audited on farms. In the next couple of weeks we will request our board to make it mandatory for all our farm suppliers - more than 4,300 suppliers - to participate in a sustainability scheme. We are doing this because our customers require it.

It covers a number of key indicators. Carbon, animal health and welfare, energy usage and water efficiency would all underpin that as well as health and safety. I am sure I am missing one or two. We are working very hard. We are looking at international studies. We are looking at what companies abroad are looking for. We are looking at what the multinationals want. It is a roadmap towards a sustainable secure supply of food. Many of our customers are looking to Ireland and are commending Ireland on what our companies are doing and what the country is doing. They want to get their product from Ireland. There is no mistake as to why more than 15% of the world's infant formula is sourced from Ireland. It is seen as a secure place to get their infant formula base ingredient and also the traceability with respect to that. Quality and traceability are very important, but so too is the carbon number associated with that production.