The Irish Timber Growers Association (ITGA) is advocating for an urgent mechanism to enable carbon payments to farmers who enhance the carbon balance on their lands, particularly those engaged in tree planting. ITGA’s technical director, Donal Whelan, emphasized the necessity of such an initiative to mitigate the significant fluctuations in farm incomes, as revealed in the Teagasc National Farm Survey 2023 released on Tuesday, July 23. The survey, based on nearly 85,000 farms across Ireland, disclosed a stark 57% decline in the average family farm income in 2023, plummeting to €19,925. Notably, incomes from tillage and dairy farms saw substantial drops of 71% and 69% respectively.
The ITGA contends that promoting environmentally sustainable farming practices, which enhance both farm and forest carbon balances, could offer a more stable income source for landowners in the future. Whelan highlighted the potential benefits for both the farming community and climate action through adequately compensating farmers for carbon sequestration and various other ecosystem services provided by farms and forests. Citing the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, the ITGA pointed to a promising model where farmers actively contribute to carbon removal from the atmosphere and are duly rewarded for advancing climate neutrality. The association reiterated its previous calls for the implementation of such a scheme in Ireland.
In parallel, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is currently crafting a National Carbon Farming Framework aimed at sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in soils, while also incentivizing farmers for emission reduction and increased carbon sequestration. This framework, a commitment outlined in the Climate Action Plan 2023 with a target delivery date of June 2024, is crucial for advancing Ireland’s climate goals. However, the framework is yet to be officially published, raising concerns about its progress.
Criticism has been directed at the Carbon Farming Working Group, established in August 2023 to advise the DAFM on framework development, for lacking forestry representation despite afforestation being recognized as a key long-term climate mitigation measure in the Climate Action Plan 2024. The plan also acknowledges the potential of forest management in enhancing carbon storage. The working group includes representatives from various organizations such as Bord Bia, Teagasc, DAFM, and others, but the absence of forestry representation has been highlighted by the ITGA.
The ITGA underscored the absence of forestry representation on the working group, emphasizing the significance of forestry and farming interests in shaping carbon farming policies. The association’s concerns echo the importance of ensuring that all relevant stakeholders, including those involved in forestry and farming, have a seat at the table when decisions impacting carbon farming are being made. The ITGA’s stance reflects a broader call for inclusive and comprehensive representation to effectively address the challenges and opportunities in the realm of carbon farming.
The ITGA’s advocacy for carbon payments to incentivize sustainable farming practices and enhance carbon sequestration aligns with broader efforts to combat climate change and promote environmental stewardship. As Ireland navigates its path towards a more sustainable future, initiatives like the National Carbon Farming Framework hold promise in fostering a greener, more resilient agricultural sector. However, the need for inclusive representation and robust engagement with all relevant stakeholders, particularly those in forestry and farming, remains a critical aspect in shaping effective and equitable carbon farming policies.