Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

128 Chapter 5: Land Policy/strategy/ legislation Explicit conservation target (conserves or limits a land use) Explicit expansion target (will use more land) Possible consequential impact (the target is not explicit but could result in a land use change) AGRICULTURE Ireland’s Fifth Nitrates Action Programme 2022–2025 (March 2022) N/A N/A 6 m buffer in critical source areas Limits on farm stocking rates Ireland’s National Energy and Climate Plan 2021–2030 (June 2020) N/A N/A Reduced management intensity on at least 40,000 ha per annum of grasslands on drained organic soils Better management of grasslands, tillage land and non-agricultural wetlands (1.4 Mt CO 2 eq cumulative abatement) Specified range of improvements in farming practices in line with recommendations from Teagasc Support diversification in agriculture and land use to develop sustainable and circular value chains and business models for lower carbon intensity farming Ag Climatise (December 2020) N/A Action 10: Increase the area under tillage production above the current area of 300,000 ha by 2030, producing more native-grown grains and legumes for the livestock industry while further enhancing the environmental credentials of the sector N/A Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan 2023–2027 (January 2023) N/A N/A Fund and plant more hedgerows