{"id":1334954,"date":"2024-06-21T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-21T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.agriland.ie\/?p=1334954"},"modified":"2024-06-21T17:31:44","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T16:31:44","slug":"significant-knowledge-gap-among-stakeholders-on-carbon-farming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lightsail.agriland.ie\/farming-news\/significant-knowledge-gap-among-stakeholders-on-carbon-farming\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Significant knowledge gap’ among stakeholders on carbon farming"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A stakeholder conference on carbon farming has heard that there is a “significant knowledge gap” among farmers, landowners, and agri-food stakeholders around the topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teagasc’s Counting Carbon: Science and Practice Conference took place in Ashtown, Dublin yesterday<\/a> (Thursday, June 20).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It heard from a number of speakers on the development of a carbon farming system for Ireland, one of whom was Bernard Harris, an official in the climate change and bioenergy policy division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon farming refers to farming with a focus on carbon emissions, and involves measuring carbon emissions and taking land use actions to mitigate those emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has said it is committed to the development of a Carbon Farming Framework in 2024 to “support the rewarding of farmers, foresters and landowners”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Harris said that there is a significant gap among farmers, landowners, agri-food stakeholders around this topic, as it is a new and developing area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a presentation on the policy aspects of developing a future Carbon Farming Framework, Harris said that, as a first step, it would be useful to develop a knowledge transfer strategy around a carbon farming demonstration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bernard<\/a>
Bernard Harris of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Source: Teagasc via X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The current knowledge gap in the area was reflected in the results of a public consultation on the development of a framework that was conducted last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the prospective of diversifying farm income was viewed by 62% of responders as a positive opportunity, Harris said that, when asked if they would join a carbon farming initiative “right now”, only 53% said they would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The remainder said they would rather wait as they did not know enough to be able to decide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harris cited this as an “important signal” as it shows the scale of uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sensible consultation, deliberation and information activities should be used to address that uncertainty, the department official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon farming consultation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Harris, farmers made up over 30% of the respondents to last year’s public consultation, while farm advisors made up around 25% and foresters about 18%. These three groups were the largest categories of respondents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was broad agreement among respondents that a compensation mechanism to reward eco-system services was needed as part of the framework, as well as carbon removal, greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and biodiversity measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harris also outlined that a great majority of respondents saw the state or the EU as being responsible for paying for carbon farming measures by farmers. However, a decent-sized group of respondents said that costs can be shared by consumers, processors, and the food producers themesleves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also said that it was clear from the consultation that a longer duration to the “time horizon” of financing activities was desirable, with almost 50% preferring a 20-year period for funding.<\/p>\n\n\n