John McGahon (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We can all agree that farmers are the custodians of the land and the best-placed people to know exactly how to implement some of the measures we are trying to bring in. It is important that we try to tone and dial back the negativity towards people in the farming community and in agriculture. Instead we should let farmers show how we can empower them and how they can do the job properly. They are the solution and not the problem in being able to tackle some of the climate challenges we have.We have to pursue changes that will enable farmers to continue to produce world-class food while at the same time lowering their carbon footprint. We must make sure that these changes benefit farming families financially while also protecting and helping the environment. There are a few key changes that can be considered, one of which is reducing the average age of slaughter from 27 months to 24 months. This would have the equivalent effect of removing 500,000 cows from the herd. It would require collaboration with stakeholders in the beef sector and a focus on practices at farm level to ensure that beef animals reach the required weight at an earlier stage. That is something we could seriously consider.

Changing our practices, as Senator Lombard suggested, around the use of fertiliser would see farmers using less and using types that produce less emissions. This means farmers could maintain the same level of production but at a reduced cost. We should also look at how we can improve genetics and how we feed our beef and dairy herds to ensure a reduction in the emissions they produce while improving their productivity. The aforementioned are options that we are committed to pursuing.

Carbon farming is another very interesting area. Not only must we reduce agriculture's overall emissions but we must also increase its potential to sequester carbon. That is why the carbon farming framework is so important. It is a system that rewards farmers for removing carbon from the atmosphere. The development of that model is to be explored and the aim is to produce a strategy on it by 2023. We must continue this journey. We must acknowledge that people involved in agriculture are the solution. They are the people who know it best and I very much trust in their judgment.