Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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220. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 21 of 22 June 2017, if he will define the phrase "carbon neutral" in respect of agriculture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31693/17]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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221. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 21 of 22 June 2017, if he will define the phrase "sustainable" in respect of agriculture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31694/17]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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222. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 21 of 22 June 2017 (details supplied), the European forms of food production the family farm is ranked against; the position of the family farm in that ranking in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31695/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 to 222, inclusive, together.

The long-term ambition for the agriculture, forest and land use sector is to move towards an approach to carbon neutrality which does not compromise capacity for sustainable food production. This effectively means that we are aiming to achieve neutrality by reducing agricultural emissions, increasing carbon-sequestration, reducing emissions from the land sector and increasing fossil fuel and energy intensive materials displacement. 

Article 4.1 of The Paris Agreement 2015 also introduces the concept of a ‘balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases’. However, neither process provides robust definitions of these concepts therefore, my Department together with the EPA and Teagasc will use opportunities in research to explore science based approaches to define indicators and metrics which could be used to define balance and neutrality in terms of the long term impacts on climate of contemporary emissions and removals of greenhouse gases which ensure sustainable food production is not threatened.

An action relating to this research has been included in the agriculture, forest and land use chapter in the National Mitigation Plan.

In relation to defining sustainability and the sustainability of the Irish family farm Food Wise 2025 sets out Ireland’s future agriculture growth to 2025 and beyond.  

The Strategy is predicated on a “sustainable growth” scenario across all sectors including beef, dairy, sheep and pigs with a view to securing greater efficiencies with consequent reductions in emissions intensity. Sustainable intensification is defined as “..improving productivity while using natural resources in a manner which protects them into the future.” 

As part of the implementation phase of Food Wise 2025, the Environmental Sustainability Committee was established to evaluate and assess the delivery of the sustainability and mitigation actions. This Committee includes representatives of key Government Departments, State agencies and academia.

As the deputy will be aware from previous replies the Department is undertaking a number of actions to translate this concept of sustainability into reality, including through the Rural Development Programme, worth almost €4 billion over 7 years.

Regarding the sustainability of the Irish family farm, I refer the deputy to the findings of the EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) report “Evaluation of the livestock sector's contribution to the EU greenhouse gas emissions (GGELS)” which states that Ireland’s food production systems provide for some of the lowest carbon footprint profiles across the EU on a per unit basis. In relation to Irish dairy production the JRC found Ireland (with Austria) had the lowest cow milk emissions (1 kg per kg of product). This compares with an EU average of 1.4kg/kg.

The Report also stated that Ireland had the lowest emissions per kg of pork (4.8 kg/kg) – EU average 7.5kg/kg and Ireland’s emissions per kg of beef were 18.4 kg/kg – EU Average 22.2kg/kg.

It also recognised with regard to dairy systems in Europe, intensive systems create less methane and nitrous oxide emissions than extensive ones, but this is countered by higher emissions from land use and land use change. Lowest emissions are created by extensive grassland systems, such as those in Ireland.

The efficiency of our temperate grassland based production system has also been recognised by the FAO.

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