Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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21. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures his Department is taking to reduce the emissions from the agriculture sector; if a projection has been carried out by his Department in relation to emissions reduction from the agricultural sector in 2020, 2030 and 2050; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21868/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The historic Paris Agreement in December 2015 recognises the need to limit global temperature increases to 2050, to less than 2 degrees and to pursue an objective of limiting increases to less than 1.5 degrees. It also recognises that this must be achieved in a manner that does not threaten food production (Article 2). This reflects the need for a coherent approach to the twin challenges of climate change and food security. From the forestry perspective of land use, the Paris Agreement includes a strong recognition of the role of forests in mitigating climate change.

This aligns with the Government’s long-term ambition for the sector- an approach to carbon neutrality which does not compromise capacity for sustainable food production. In effect, carbon-neutral agriculture aspires to balancing agricultural emissions with carbon-sequestration, reducing emissions from land sector, increasing fossil fuel displacement and materials displacement.

With this in mind, we are correct to seek to maintain one of Europe's most sustainable forms of food production - the Irish family farm.

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department and its agencies have been strongly focussed on improving the efficiency of Irish farming which is fundamental to reducing emissions.  We are focused on improving animal, grassland and nutrient management and have invested heavily in a number of schemes and measures such as the Origin Green initiative, the Beef Data and Genomics Programme and our Agri-Environment Scheme, GLAS.  Our knowledge transfer programmes are key to bringing the latest innovative sustainability research and practices direct to farmers.

These strategies have led to a significant decoupling of production output and emissions, with current analysis suggesting that the emissions intensity per kcal of food output in 2013 had reduced by approximately 14% relative to 2005.

FoodWise 2025 includes clear and comprehensive commitments to managing the projected growth in the Irish agri-food sector in a sustainable way.  The guiding principle underpinning this projected growth is that environmental protection and economic competitiveness will be considered as equal and complementary, one will not be achieved at the expense of the other.

FoodWise provides a framework for the agri sector to engage with the National Mitigation Plan and for the development of a common vision of transition to a low carbon future.

There is also a strong commitment to measuring and monitoring the sustainability credentials of the sector. As part of the implementation phase of FoodWise, an Environmental Sustainability Committee has been established. This implementation process will include evaluation and assessment of the delivery of sustainability and mitigation actions.

All of these efforts are being implemented alongside an extensive afforestation scheme. Afforestation is the main cost effective land based climate mitigation tool available to Ireland, followed by the above mentioned technologies in agriculture itself. Climate change mitigation by forests, forest fuels and wood products is one of the principal drivers of the policy to expand forest cover out to mid century. Agriculture and afforestation are intrinsically linked in Ireland, with every new hectare of afforestation comes directly from agriculture. 

My Department will continue to actively engage in the whole of government approach on climate policy to examine the best means of encouraging sustainable intensification of food production, while optimising the sectors contribution to greenhouse gas mitigation and sequestration including through afforestation and other forest sector activities.