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New Zealand researchers have not yet identified mechanisms
to substantially cut agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
according to Dr Harry Clark, head of AgResearch's environmental
research programme in New Zealand.
Addressing a Teagasc conference on agricultural GHG emissions
in Wexford, he said - "This is a key issue for agriculture
in New Zealand, given that the sector accounts for approximately
50 per cent of our GHG emissions." Dr Clark outlined how the
New Zealand government is funding a very significant basic
and applied research programme to address the issue of gaseous
emissions.
Dr Frank O'Mara, Teagasc assistant director of agriculture
research, told the conference that Ireland is now at a critical
point in relation to the impact of climate change on the economy
and on the agri-food sector. He argued that the current EU
proposals for burden-sharing of the agreed 20 per cent cut
in GHG emissions by 2020 and the renewable energy targets
(20 per cent of total energy and 10 per cent of road fuel
from renewables by 2020) are far more challenging than the
Kyoto protocol.
In addition, he said - "There is likely to be less flexibility
in meeting the new targets through carbon credits. These new
targets come at a time when agriculture is at a turning point,
with possibilities for growth - particularly in the dairy
and tillage sectors. Growth in agricultural production is
likely to bring emissions back close to 1990 levels."
Addressing the conference, Dr Cathal O'Donoghue, head of
Teagasc Rural Economy Research Centre, said that global food
demand, especially for livestock products, will increase significantly
over the coming decades. He stressed the importance of ensuring
that any measures to reduce GHG emissions from Irish agriculture
do not result in emissions 'leakage' (movement of industry
or production and the associated emissions from one country
to another country not bound by emissions targets).
Thus, unilateral reductions in Irish food production will
not contribute to solving the global GHG problem. On this
basis, he made the case that agriculture should be treated
differently from other sectors in terms of GHG emission targets.
Loss to the economy must also be considered and, in particular,
the impact at local level of constraining agricultural production
to meet emission targets. Dr O'Donoghue argued that the effect
of this will be greatest in the more remote regions, where
there is a greater dependence on agriculture.
Strategies to mitigate the main agricultural emissions were
discussed. It is clear that there is not a large mitigation
potential at present in the agriculture sector. While several
interesting strategies are being researched (e.g., nitrification
inhibitors to reduce nitrous oxide emissions and dietary manipulation
to reduce methane emissions), many of these are at an early
stage of research or are uneconomic at present.
On the other hand, forestry can make a significant contribution
by sequestering carbon and, if planting targets for renewable
energy crops such as miscanthus and willow are
met, it would make a significant contribution to meeting both
the GHG and renewable energy target. However, doubt was expressed
at the conference on the prospects of meeting these targets
in the required timeframe, given the current low planting
rates and the low farm profitability of these crops.
Delegates at the conference also heard how the agriculture
sector should be credited for carbon sequestered biplants
and for the production of bioenergy crops.
In addition, the conference stressed the importance of all
systems of farming operating at the best level of technical
efficiency possible, in order to reduce emissions. Teagasc
research and advisory programmes focus at farm efficiency
- delivering a win-win for farming and the environment.
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