All aspects of agricultural sustainability – environmental, economic and social – have been highlighted at the Teagasc Sustainability in Agriculture: The Science and Evidence conference today (Tuesday, November 5).
Various speakers put forward the science and evidence behind the sustainability credentials of agriculture, specifically focusing on livestock systems, at the event which took place at the Teagasc Research Centre in Ashtown, Dublin.
Teagasc director, Prof. Frank O’Mara said in Ireland, sustainability generally means balancing economic viability, environmental stewardship and social equity in order for agriculture to provide food and nutrition, and play a “central role” in the economy and rural livelihoods.
“Different systems have different strengths and challenges, and for any system, we must seek to strengthen the positives and minimise the challenges,” he told the conference which assessed the current sustainability of Irish milk and beef systems.
Sustainability
The conference heard from Dr. Badi Besbes from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Animal Production and Health Division, who provided insights into the important role animals play in global food production systems.
Leading national experts presented the science and evidence behind sustainability in an Irish context, discussing topics including the carbon footprint of Irish livestock systems and the nutritional adequacy of healthy, sustainable diets.
While Ireland’s dairy and beef carbon footprints are one of the lowest in the world, Irish agriculture accounts for 38% of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to Teagasc.
However, through increased efficiency and adoption of technologies, total Irish agricultural GHG emissions are in decline and approaching 2016 levels, Teagasc said.
The conference also heard how ‘blue water’ use on Irish dairy farms is substantially below most other countries in the world due to the abundance of rainfall, low purchased concentrate and lack of irrigation in the production systems.
Irish dairy and beef systems are a “significant” net contributor to the production of human digestible protein, Teagasc said, and even when the potential of land suitable for arable production is accounted for, dairy and dairy-beef systems remain land use efficient.
According to Teagasc, the scientific evidence behind healthy and sustainable diets that ensures both personal and planetary health presents the challenge of balancing nutrient content with emissions.
“For example, while a 200ml serving of milk and 200ml of carbonated beverage have similar carbon footprints, milk contains protein and essential nutrients while Cola contains 21g sugar and no other nutrients.”
The conference also heard that science on water quality has enhanced our understanding of the processes that govern the generation and transport of pollutants, and that tools have been developed to identify pressures and support the targeting of actions.
Multi-actor approaches have demonstrated the steps needed to achieve sustained practice change, Teagasc said adding that there is “heightened awareness and desire” amongst all stakeholders across the agri-food industry to tackle water quality challenges.
One of the economic papers presented at the conference took a look at public and private initiatives in Ireland and across Europe to support farmers to deliver better outcomes and achieve sustainability.
New data on social sustainability – including social engagement, farmer wellbeing and generational renewal – has shown that, on average, six out of 10 farmers aged over 60 have identified a successor, representing a decline on 2018 data.
The final paper on agricultural education showed that the percentage of famers having some form of formal education has steadily increased across all farm enterprises between 2015 and 2022, with courses including environment modules.
The conference also included a panel discussion with leading sustainability experts Cara Augustenborg, assistant professor of environmental policy at University College Dublin (UCD); Thomas Duffy, former Macra president and farmer; Dr. Stan Lalor, director of Knowledge Transfer at Teagasc; Elaine O’Connor, head of sustainability at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland; and Dr. Besbes.
This post was originally published on here
