Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

272 Chapter 10: Environment and Agriculture 6. Conclusions Agriculture is an integral part of the fabric of Irish society, but our food systems are not currently meeting our sustainability targets and need urgent transformational change. Over the last decade, two successive ambitious agricultural growth policies have delivered economic benefits, but challenges remain with associated environmental impacts that need to be addressed: ■ The latest EPA projections indicate that greenhouse gases from agriculture are likely to reduce by up to 18% (compared with 2018 levels) depending on the measures that are implemented. Pathways to implementing all the measures identified in Teagasc MACC 2023 must be identified to meet the 2030 targets of a reduction in emissions of 25%. Ireland’s commitment to the Paris Agreement will require transformational change across agriculture and the wider land sector by 2050. ■ The application of artificial fertilisers and the management of manures are key contributors to air pollution in Ireland. National targets to reduce ammonia emissions are not being achieved. Continued implementation of on-farm abatement measures, such as reduced use of chemical fertilisers, increased use of protected urea and increased use of low-emission slurry systems, and research on new measures, is needed to bring Ireland back into compliance with the current 2020-2029 national emission reduction commitment and to meet the 2030 emission reduction commitment targets. ■ Almost half of our surface waters have unsatisfactory water quality, and agriculture is the most widespread significant pressure causing the impacts. Successive Nitrates Action Programmes have not achieved the desired water quality outcomes to date. There needs to be full implementation of the Nitrates Action Programme through compliance promotion and targeted agricultural inspections with follow-up action and enforcement. High rates of engagement and uptake of voluntary measures through ASSAP, the Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership project, the Waters of LIFE project, and various other projects and agri-environmental schemes, will be essential for targeting the right measure in the right place. ■ Our farming landscape is currently having a significant impact on biodiversity. The majority of our protected habitats, and many protected species, are at unfavourable conservation status and in significant decline. There is a need to further develop agro-ecological approaches to farming to enhance biodiversity on farms. ■ Farm viability and the social fabric of rural communities are under pressure. Many farmers face economic challenges and generational renewal is becoming increasingly challenging. Ensuring fair economic returns for farmers that reflect the true cost of food production and deliver a standard of living that is comparable with other sectors, while providing support for rural development, is important for sustaining agriculture and rural livelihoods. There are many EU and national policies and strategies to improve the food system under the broad umbrella of the European Green Deal. Key challenges include policy integration and coherence, a robust ongoing monitoring and reporting framework, and the development of a shared vision setting out what Ireland should look like beyond the horizon of Food Vision 2030. There is a welcome progression in the agri-food sector towards more sustainable farming practices, and there are many positive actions being taken on farm; while improvements are being made in places, they are not at the scale and pace that is needed. There are opportunities for gains to be made throughout the food system that will benefit the environment, farmers and the rural economy, for example by using fewer inputs, adopting carbon farming and embracing the circular economy. However, where these actions are not sufficiently targeted and joined up as a coherent package, there is a risk that they will not deliver the required environmental outcomes. It is vital that the evidence is collected to assess and demonstrate the environmental outcomes of the actions being taken. Ireland has declared a climate and biodiversity crisis, and in that reality we must implement adaptive management programmes, supported by well-designed monitoring programmes that can feed into timely review and revision. Driving the transition to a more climate-resilient and environmentally friendly agriculture sector that is fit for purpose in 2050 will require vision and leadership. The scale of land transformation necessary requires sustained and consistent action, but, given the time lags involved, implementation must begin urgently. Our farmers are the custodians of the land, and a thriving agriculture sector is key to delivering a climate-neutral, biodiverse economy. The agriculture sector can play a key role as part of the solution to addressing our climate, biodiversity and wider environmental challenges. Farmers must be supported to make the changes that are needed.