Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, I thank the Deputy for her contribution on Teagasc’s role in the Dublin Declaration of scientists on the societal role of livestock. Teagasc was established under the Agriculture (Research, Training and Advice) Act 1988, as the national agency with responsibility for the provision of research, training and advisory services to the agriculture and food industry. Teagasc seeks to be professional, independent and scientifically excellent in carrying out its functions. It works in partnership with other organisations and stakeholders across the agrifood sector and actively collaborates with research organisations across the world from individual projects and publications right up to formal alliances and partnerships. The organisation’s overarching strategic goal is: "To make sustainability front and centre of all Teagasc activities" and "To provide scientific leadership and support to Irish farmers and food companies in achieving a sustainable food system."

Teagasc has an important role to play in supporting the Government’s strategy for the development of the agriculture and food industries within the framework of Government and EU policies and priorities. It provides research and training advice in supporting viable and resilient primary producers to enhance the production of safe and nutritious food from animals with a high animal welfare status and from soils with a high health status. Equally, I emphasise that Teagasc research programmes are concerned with addressing the broad environmental sustainability challenges in climate change, water quality, ammonia emissions and biodiversity. Teagasc is marshalling its resources to support the agricultural industry to respond to the climate challenge. Its climate action strategy for 2022 to 2030, Supporting Farmers for Climate Action, sets out an ambitious roadmap to 2030 that will maximise farmer uptake of the existing marginal abatement cost curve technologies through Teagasc’s advisory and education activities.

Teagasc routinely hosts international scientific conferences to bring together the latest science available on a particular topic and facilitate discussions around the science. The outputs from these conferences are published for the public to read and evaluate. Last October 12 months, Teagasc hosted an international summit on the societal role of meat at the Teagasc food research centre in Ashtown. It brought together world-leading experts on the role of livestock farming and meat in: diet and health; society; economics and culture; and a sustainable environment. The agenda included presentations by experts from leading research institutions and universities from across the globe. Teagasc has advised that it did not host the Dublin Declaration of scientists on the societal role of livestock. Conclusions from the summit and evidence reviewed in the summit featured in a peer-reviewed edition of the scientific journal Animal Frontiersin early 2023. Summit attendees with academic and scientific credentials were invited to endorse the evidence base by signing the Dublin Declaration. No companies or organisations could sign the declaration and individuals who signed had to be scientists working in the relevant area.

Teagasc research and knowledge transfer services engage in several joint programmes with various food companies. Industry involvement is clearly visible to all parties and the outputs of these initiatives are communicated in the public domain. Teagasc has contracts in place to ensure that third parties will not have any influence over the publication of outputs. For example, the Teagasc signpost programme demonstrating best practice in reducing greenhouse gas, GHG, emissions on their farms is supported by more than 60 companies and organisations, all of which are committed to reducing GHG emissions from the agricultural sector.

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