Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 June 2021
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Common Agricultural Policy
594. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the EU farm to fork strategy details carbon farming and specifically forestry related activities as part of any new eco or environmental scheme in the next CAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34424/21]
View answerThe Farm to Fork Strategy, a key pillar of the European Green Deal, was published in May 2020. It includes reference to a new EU model of financially supporting farmers and foresters for sequestering carbon on their farms.
The Strategy identifies that farming practices that remove CO2 from the atmosphere contribute to the climate neutrality objective and should be rewarded, either via the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) or other public or private initiatives (carbon market).
The new Common Agricultural Policy allows options to provide support for environmental action on farms, through the establishment of eco schemes that would make a proportion of Pillar I direct payments conditional on additional environmental action, or by encouraging specific additional environmental action through schemes established in Pillar II Rural Development Programme Schemes. Such measures could reward action to increase carbon sequestration on farms, for example, by encouraging sustainable management practices to reduce carbon loss from land.
Most recently the European Commission has published a Technical Guidance Handbook on setting up and implementing result-based carbon farming mechanisms which my officials are currently reviewing.
Through AgClimatise, the National Climate and Air Roadmap for the Agriculture Sector, I have committed to develop a pilot scheme for on-farm carbon trading, recognising the importance that our farmers play in storing carbon at farm level.
To build the knowledge and evidence base to support such a scheme, there are a number of new research projects and pilot studies in recent months, such as the National Soil Sampling Programme, which seek to improve the measurement of the greenhouse gas emission profile of Irish farms, which will be essential in providing the necessary data to realise the potential of carbon farming in Ireland. In addition projects such as the EIP Rewetting of Farmed Peatland Pilot Projects, along with the establishment of a National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory will all aim to address the knowledge deficit surrounding on farm carbon balances.
The Farm to Fork Strategy also includes a commitment for a legislative proposal to reduce the EU’s contribution to global deforestation and forest degradation.
The Department already supports afforestation, in a variety of configurations. Such planting can make an important contribution to carbon sequestration and the development of a new Forestry Strategy will look at ways to further enhance and support afforestation in Ireland.
