Mr. Clive Carter:

I thank the committee for the invitation.

The aim of this presentation is to highlight the positive contribution of the Irish arable sector to the Irish economy, ecology, climate change and environment and recognising the current and future potential of the sector, having a positive stimulus to the environment and also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This document will discuss key areas of the industry and propose more mitigation measures to be implemented to provide a long-term sustainable arable sector contributing positively to the overall carbon footprint of Irish agriculture in an environmentally positive way, while continuing to make a significant input to the Irish economy.

The role of the arable sector was virtually ignored in Food Harvest 2020 and Food Wise 2025. These omissions in Food Harvest 2020 prompted the launch of the Tillage Sector Development Plan 2012, yet the tillage sector was burdened with most of the mandatory greening requirements and production altering changes in the most recent review of CAP, such as the three crop rule, ecological focus areas, EFAs, buffer strips, etc. The arable sector should not be targeted and used as a future scapegoat for climate change, which happened previously, to allow for a further increase in beef and dairy, as happened in the past. The challenge for all in our country is to reduce carbon emissions from food production, energy use, transport and manufacturing while continuing to maintain fully traceable indigenous food output, retaining employment while maintaining a positive environmental impact.

The EPA published a report in 2016, which stated that agriculture accounted for 33% of all carbon emissions in Ireland, while transport was 19.8% and energy was 19.7%. Emissions from cattle alone accounted for 14% of carbon emission. This figure is not a true reflection of Irish agricultural emissions, as Ireland is not as industrialised as other countries in western Europe and agriculture accounts for a higher proportion of industry. Ireland is likely to miss its targets for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for 2020, according to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. This will result in a cost to the State in the region of €120 million for every 1% above the mandatory figures agreed in the Paris Climate Change Agreement, COP21. Some are predicting that we could be 20% above our target by 2020. The time to act is now and not bury our heads. There needs to be a clear policy roadmap, helping to deliver a reduction in carbon emissions and any potential fines, alongside creating sustainable renewable energy, jobs, food, revenue and adding positively to the overall wealth of the country, its environmental upkeep and diversity for years to come.

Irish arable farming can tackle greenhouse gas emissions head on, while maintaining output of food, employment along with broader environmental and economic benefits for the country through increased output; reduction in food miles and added value; multi-use crops for food and energy, such as cereals, proteins, sugar beet and oilseed rape; better land management, including more organic fertiliser and precision agricultural technology; improved greening, environmental and ecological benefits; collaboration of farmers with other sectors; and the traceability and indigenous supply.

A key area where Irish arable farming has an advantage over imported food produce is the reduction of food miles. Our grains are produced locally, giving local employment, whereas imported grain do not. Imported grain has crossed thousands of miles via rail, road, air and sea to arrive at a port and then to be transported by rail or road to a processing plant, a few miles away from a local farm that is perfectly able to produce a similar if not better grain. We currently import €450 million worth of sugar and Bord Bia has said that approximately 60% of the feed and meal fed to Irish cows, beef, pigs, etc., is imported of which 70% is from genetically modified organism, GMO, origin.

Due to our traceability standards, encouragement is needed to produce premium markets and crops such as malt barley and gluten free oats. These crops, grown locally, add value to the economy and provide extra jobs and revenue to the country. One hectare of malt barley can produce over €100,000 in revenue to the country, based on revenue figures. It is important that these crops are protected and encouraged.

As stated, Ireland is going to miss its targets for renewable energy and will face a likely fine of millions. This money could be better spent developing a sector that has the potential to bring down emissions, create jobs and create a high value domestic export driven product. We would like to see research into this area to quantify the potential long-term benefits of tillage farming for carbon sequestration, managing waste, and positive environmental impact.

According to Bord Bia, the beverage industry exports in 2016 were €1.5 billion of which €500 million was whiskey. Whiskey exports are set to triple by 2030.

Beverage exports could well pass out beef exports by that time. Currently, only 1% of land in the country is used to grow malt barley. What if rather than growing carbon positive crops to mitigate against the growing cow numbers, they could be used to mitigate the carbon emissions in the production of beer or whiskey? Just a thought, but imagine the marketing power of a GM free, fully Irish, carbon neutral beer or whiskey? However, farmers would have to be paid accordingly for such a product.

Recently, the Citizens' Assembly recommended a carbon tax on agriculture. If a farmer is deemed to be carbon positive, should they get a tax credit using the potential of carbon positive crops?

The production of protein crops, such as beans, peas and lupins, lead to several positive resource and environmental effects as well as being a very high protein crop for animal feed. Proteins also have a nitrogen fixing capacity reducing the need for synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. Reduction in disease levels and improvement in soil properties, such as organic matter and structure, cause an increase in subsequent cereal crop and reduction in carbon dioxide emissions due to reduction in fertiliser use. A protein crop when growing releases five to seven times less greenhouse gas emissions per unit compared to some other crops. Across Europe there is a big interest in producing home grown GM free proteins, particularly for animal feed, and the production of Irish proteins mitigates against both carbon emissions and protein.

Recently, it was realised that the EU needs to reduce its 95% deficiency in soya as it imports 95% of its soya requirements. This is a massive volume that could be produced locally. The current protein payment should be maintained and expanded on. It has been a success story of the previous few years. Millers that previously found it difficult to include beans in rations are now investing in technology and methods to handle them, realising their potential. We should be aiming to be exporting food grade beans and peas in the coming years, plus there is a big demand globally for proteins.

Food production should not suffer in order to produce renewable energy. There is scope to produce energy from by-products and first generation biofuels where the by-product from that process can then be used for animal feed, such as wheat and sugar beet for ethanol. Oilseed rape is a multi-use crop which can be used for food, that is, cooking oil; energy, that is, biofuel; and animal feed. Oilseed rape also contributes positively to the bee population during its flowering period, contributing to the local ecology. Sugar beet is also a multi-use crop for food, that is, sugar; and, energy, that is, ethanol and anaerobic digestion, which releases biogas. The beet pulp from the process is a high protein animal feed. Sugar beet is also one of the best filters of greenhouse gas emissions during its long growing season, which could be up to a year, in some cases.

We listed transport in our introduction as being the second highest in carbon emissions, with 19.8%, behind agriculture. Agriculture can help reduce our transport emissions by developing a strategic policy on renewable energy as stated already. Biofuel from first generation crops and on-farm anaerobic digestion from slurry, food waste and organic manures, etc., can produce biogas which can also be used in our transport sector. On-farm anaerobic digestion plants and research and investment is required as is a specific rural development policy like the policy in the UK and Northern Ireland.

Investment in technology has consistently found solutions to problems, particularly in agriculture. From mechanisation, plant breeding and chemistry, we have seen yields rise dramatically over the last few decades helping to feed an expanding global population. More recent developments in global positioning system, GPS, and precision farming have been able to reduce input use by up to 10% in some cases. Urea is a cheap source of nitrogen for farmers, but can be less efficient in very dry conditions. The development of protected urea enables farmers to capitalise on a cheaper source of nitrogen and prevents losses to the environment. Having submitted this statement, I found out that according to Teagasc figures, protected urea is more stable in soil, lowers ammonia emissions by 84% and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 73%. A few farmers are trialling chemical nitrogen, applied in a liquid form, on growing crops for better foliage uptake.

The arable sector carried the can on most changes in the most recent CAP, such as the two and three crop rule; ecological focus areas, EFAs; buffer strips; and cover crops. While some of the measures can have a positive impact on farms, the enforcement rather than encouragement of these measures has resulted in many smaller producers opting out of the arable sector and, ironically, going into mono crop production - grass.

Arable land is a haven for birds and wildlife during the hungry winter months alongside being a habitat for smaller mammals. Most bird watchers are keen for an increase in arable area. Commercial beekeepers are establishing working relationships with tillage farmers which are beneficial to both parties and the environment. A vibrant tillage sector which has a diversified cropping plan including beans, peas, oilseed rape and cover crops is key to keeping and expanding the bee populations. This is encouraged by varying times of flowering of different crops prolonging the production season and creating food reserves for bees over the winter months. Mono-cropped grass, even with white clover in the mix, does not provide food for bees. The wild bird cover measure in GLAS has been beneficial in providing diversity in intensively managed grassland but we would like to see that broadened to include a bee and insect cover as an alternative for GLAS members on 100% grassland and to include wild flowers or later flowering crops. The greening measures adopted in the previous CAP reform have been implemented very well for most of tillage farms. Under the new CAP negotiations and simplification, we would encourage no changes to the greening requirements for tillage farmers, apart from a greater flexibility on the ground for growers and a ring-fenced and higher budget for farmers for adopting these measures. The entire tillage area should be ring-fenced and encouraged to expand by investment in new technologies, markets and crops.

We propose the following recommendations for implementation: a linked Irish food and renewable energy roadmap; a focus on the positive environmental aspects of Irish arable farming; an aim to increase the arable area and the variety of crops; the encouragement rather than enforcement of environmental measures; the prevention of further penalisation and scapegoating of the Irish arable sector; a review of REFIT to encourage local community energy production; the development of end use markets for renewables; no reduction in the biofuel inclusion rate across Europe; the recognition of quality assurance and traceability; co-operation between farmers, industry and Government on food and energy matters; and a rural development plan that encourages long-term jobs, transport and energy for communities.

Many Irish arable farmers are afraid of what is coming down the line for them in the future regarding COP21 and the next CAP review. No other agriculture sector has seen as many enforced measures recently and every effort must be made to review that policy and encourage small and medium growers to produce sustainably and efficiently which will benefit the entire environment of Ireland. Arable farmers are connected to the environment and the soil, they depend on them for their living. We are constantly trying to improve both for the future. The acres devoted to tillage are on a serious downhill slide, 14% fewer acres in the last five years alone, and 5.75% in the last year, one third of what it used to be before 1945. The first port of call for this joint Oireachtas committee in relation to climate change is to stop the slide of the area under tillage. Tillage farming is at worst carbon neutral and most likely carbon positive. The more acres devoted to tillage the less of a problem we are creating as regards climate change. We have solutions to climate change, the question is, are our Governments going to invest in them?

While watching RTÉ news last night, the main topic was the critical volume of plastics in the ocean. We may not have all the solutions for this but one might be the growing of more hemp. It can be used to reduce and replace plastics in certain circumstances, alongside with bioplastics that are produced from sugar beet. Crops have potentials in not just the food industry but also in the pharmaceutical and energy industries.

Recently, at the national tillage conference in Kilkenny in January, a Teagasc chief economist acknowledged that the arable sector was number one for ticking all of the boxes in terms of the environment, climate change and ecology. We are way ahead of all other sectors. We are currently second in economic aspects but number one in environmental terms. This must be quantified and acknowledged. I thank the committee.