Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

264 Chapter 10: Environment and Agriculture Figure 10.10  Engagement channels mobilised in the Signpost Programme advisory campaign Training Farm Sustainability Plan Annual Sustainability Report Digital On-Farm Research Events Discussion Groups All Farmers All Students THE SIGNPOST FARMS Source: Teagasc, 2021b Positive actions being taken on farm Reducing artificial fertiliser use. Our food systems have grown and developed over the last century with a dependency on the use of artificial fertilisers. At a global level, research has shown that the use of artificial nitrogen and phosphorus has exceeded the limits of the safe operating space of the Earth system’s planetary boundaries for humanity and the natural world (Raworth, 2017; Richardson et al ., 2023; Rockström et al ., 2023). While nitrogen is relatively readily available, the supply of rock phosphate, which is required to produce phosphorus, is finite (Cordell and White, 2014). The Farm to Fork strategy (EC, 2020) has set a target to reduce synthetic fertiliser use by at least 20% and to reduce nutrient losses by at least 50% by 2030, while ensuring no deterioration in soil fertility. These nutrient reduction targets have also been embedded in the national Food Vision 2030 strategy. Separately, there is a target in the national Climate Action Plan to cut nitrogen fertiliser use to a maximum of 300,000 tonnes annually by 2030, while the fifth Nitrates Action Programme for 2022–2025 has also set a target to reduce the maximum allowance of chemical fertiliser use by 10%, followed by a possible further 5% pending the interim review. While it is unclear how these various targets interact, and whether they will achieve the required environmental outcomes, they nevertheless send a clear message that the use of chemical nitrogen in particular needs to be reduced. For Irish farmers operating in a largely grass- based system, reducing the use (and losses) of chemical fertiliser is a key action that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, achieve air quality targets, and improve water quality and biodiversity. There are also clear economic benefits. However, achieving water quality benefits is dependent on achieving genuine reductions in overall nitrogen surpluses on farm; if chemical nitrogen reductions are simply replaced by increases in nitrogen imports in concentrate feed and/or nitrogen fixation from clover, there will be little change in the overall nitrogen load on farm, and therefore little change in nitrogen losses, unless there are significant improvements in the efficiency of nitrogen use at the same time.