Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Senator is aware, carbon sequestration is only one part of our overall approach. The Signpost programme currently has 119 Signpost farms whose performance is being assessed using data gathered by Teagasc and analysed to calculate greenhouse gas emissions. The reduction of soil-based emissions is very important to deliver the reductions in the overall carbon balance and we have delivered several projects to address knowledge deficits in this area.

One of the tools developed to assess these Signpost farms and soon to be available to all farmers is the new AgNav sustainability digital platform, which delivers science-led support and planning tools to help Irish farmers play their part in reducing agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. AgNav will facilitate access to reliable and robust estimates of carbon for each individual farm and accurately provide baseline figures for farmers using verified data. Platforms such as this will underpin the adoption of any carbon farming framework by land managers in Ireland.