In Ireland, farmers are at the heart of the agri-food transition

From 6 to 18 November 2022, EIT Climate-KIC is participating in and attending COP27 sessions in Sharm-el-Sheikh. As a global cry for justice pervades the event, it’s clear as ever there’s an opportunity—and a responsibility—for cities, regions and countries to demonstrate what healthy, just and regenerative societies can look like. EIT Climate-KIC’s Deep Demonstration in Ireland is aiming to do just that, by placing farmers and families at the centre of the transition. Learn more via this fascinating interview with our programme partners Hayden Lalor, Assistant Agricultural Inspector, Climate Division, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, as well as Patrick Barrett, Agricultural Inspector, Research Division, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine.

Christine Lariviere: What problem is the Deep Demonstration is trying to solve? 

Hayden Lalor: The Deep Demonstration method will explore innovations across the entire Irish agri-food and value chain—from soil to farm to fork to society—that will help the sector deliver accelerated pathways to climate action and develop greater resilience. It will focus on aiding an environment and climate-led transition to a climate neutral agri-food sector within Ireland.

Patrick Barrett: The Deep Demonstration project will also provide a structure, methodological approach and a process to support the development of systems innovation and systems thinking within the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM), including to support the implementation of the Food Vision 2030 Strategy which is a ten-year strategy for the Irish agri-food sector and its vision for Ireland to become a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) over the next decade, delivering significant benefits for the Irish agri-food sector itself, for Irish society, and the environment and climate.

CL: What unique challenges does Ireland face when it comes to climate change mitigation and adaptation?

HL:  Ireland has committed to achieving a 51 per cent reduction in overall GHG emissions by 2030 and to achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050. The Irish Climate Action Plan 2021 and the Food Vision 2030 Strategy have set out ambitious plans for the agri-food sector and the bioeconomy over the coming decade. The goal for agriculture is to reduce emissions by 25 per cent by 2030, however, we are only beginning to identify all the emerging technologies, changing scientific consensus or policies needed to meet this challenging target. Achieving this will require new and innovative approaches by primary producers, industry and beyond. The partnership with EIT Climate KIC and their Deep Demonstration is of great value and should aid this process.

While much focus is on climate mitigation, we also need to focus on climate adaptation. Irish people have experienced events such as flooding, storms and severe drought in recent years and these are expected to increase in frequency and intensity. We have particularly witnessed crises in relation to fodder and crop production that highlight the need for adaptation measures to help the country cope with the effects of climate change and improve our resilience within the sector. Having a robust agri-food sector is not only important to the sector itself, but also to the national economy and to Ireland’s global trading partners.

CL: How is the Deep Demonstration positioned to help address these challenges?

HL: We are first mapping the Irish agri-food system to understand and position public and private sector partners and their initiatives, and then to understand where and how innovation can catalyse positive change and new opportunities. Once the initial phase has been completed, a series of innovative interventions will be developed and put into action, all while developing insights and knowledge on effective pathways for not only primary producers, but businesses, communities and the broader public sector.

PB: The Deep Demonstration project will also help with gaining increased understanding of the Irish agri-food system and to engage with stakeholders to examine how to move to a climate neutral agri-food system. The project will help us examine what this future will look like. Specifically, the project will help us to identify with stakeholders’ innovation possibilities that will start to build the bridge from the current to the future system. Once we see the relationship between the agri-food system, its assumptions, dynamics and behaviours, we can begin to understand how it works as a system, what is leading to its environmental, economic and social performance, and then allow us to consider how to shift to improved actions.

CL: What climate and ecological aspects of Ireland come into play when working on climate change mitigation and adaptation? How does the Deep Demonstration consider these aspects?

HL: Approximately 37.5 per cent of total Irish emissions come from agriculture, the largest component of this is in the form of biogenic methane (almost 70 per cent) originating largely from enteric fermentation within our national bovine herd. Technologies around methane mitigation are still in development and are most likely to have a greater impact later in this decade. These include developments in improved animal feeding practices and incorporating methane-reducing feed additives while stock is grazing our green pastures, and also through more efficient breeding practices and the earlier finishing of cattle. Other agricultural emissions of nitrous oxide (approximately 25 per cent of overall emissions) are originating from animals grazing at pasture, manure management and fertiliser application, and this will be the key area of focus in the immediate and short term. This will target a reduction of chemical nitrogen use on farms, increasing the amount of protected nitrogen products being used and establishing widespread use of low-emissions slurry spreading equipment. Additionally, Ireland is looking to significantly expand the area farmed organically by almost five times by 2030, which will naturally help to reduce emissions associated with chemical fertilisers.

In the agriculture sector, climate adaptation and mitigation are more integrated than in others, therefore these actions should work in a manner that maximises co-benefits and decreases the impacts of climate change on rural and coastal livelihoods while also enhancing the resilience of our food, fibre and fuel production systems. Given its reliance on the environment, this sector must work with natural processes, and within the constraints placed on it by climatic and soil conditions. Nonetheless, resilience can be enhanced through appropriate planning and management.

CL: What cultural, historical and ‘just transition’ aspects of Ireland get engaged when working on climate change mitigation and adaptation? How does the Deep Demonstration consider these aspects?

HL: Agriculture has a critically important social, economic and environmental value to Ireland, which is largely based on a pastoral family farm model. Farmers are the custodians of our physical environment here and have been engaged in environmental action for generations. Like other sectors, agriculture will play its part in meeting our national and international obligations. Against this background, it is important that we find the right balance between the multiple objectives placed on agriculture and land use. We must ensure that agriculture contributes to climate change mitigation and the protection of the environment, but also that it continues to support vibrant rural and coastal economies and communities. Farmers are at the heart of this transition and policy must work with them to make the changes needed while protecting primary producers’ economic viability and those that depend on the high-quality food produced here.

The Climate Action Plan 2021 outlines the four principles of our just transition framework. These include: 

1. An evidence-based approach to identify and plan just transitional requirements 
2. Equipping people with the skills to participate and benefit from a climate neutral economy
3. Sharing the costs so impacts are equitable 
4. Ensuring impacted communities and citizens are empowered and form the core of the transition. 

We must embody these key principles within any future instruments, policies and regulations that are developed.

CL: Can you please provide more information on the specific tasks the Deep Demonstration is working on? 

PB: The work programme that has been co-developed by DAFM and EIT Climate-KIC has four pillars of activity. The first pillar has involved setting up a coordination group amongst Government Departments, Agencies and a select group of key stakeholders,  gathering evidence and networking on climate and air quality actions and  also reporting on key focus areas such as carbon farming, and the engagement by the meat and dairy processing companies in supporting climate action. This  will ultimately produce a systems map of the Irish agri-food sector and an innovation action portfolio  to ‘move’ the current agri-food system to the desired climate-neutral agri-food system. The pillar will also look at learning and development needs for systems thinking with the aim that the DAFM develops its staff with increased capacity and capability in systems thinking for both the organisations, the sectors and for societal benefit.

The second pillar is about stakeholder engagement and the project team at DAFM and EIT Climate-KIC have held three workshops in September, October and November 2022.  These workshops have delved deep into the current status of the Irish agri-food system, and examined future possibilities and innovation opportunities for achieving a climate-neutral food system by 2050, with verifiable progress achieved by 2030. The third and fourth pillars will focus on Funding and Finance as well as Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning.

CL: What impact is the Deep Demonstration trying to achieve? 

PB: The project is seeking to deliver knowledge and insights, joint capability development and practical action supporting Ireland’s agri-food, bioeconomy and climate aspirations. The specific focus of the work is to move away from individual, incremental projects and innovations, and apply an approach of creating and implementing a portfolio of strategic, coordinated interventions—innovations—which test different options for change in the agri-food system.

CL: How and why does the Deep Demonstration methodology resonate with you? What have you learned so far through this process working with EIT Climate-KIC? 

PB: The optimisation of the agri-food innovation system is no longer sufficient and a systems innovation approach—aimed at bringing about transformational change in the system that provides us with food and biobased materials—is needed. The Deep Demonstration methodology offers a systems innovation partnering approach that allows the department to grow as an organisation and with its stakeholders to develop an innovation portfolio based on needs and feedback to evolve the innovation model for the agri-food system.    

We have learned through working with EIT Climate-KIC that systems innovation can be a practical, stakeholder-driven initiative.    

CL: Has anything surprised you about this experience working within the Irish Deep Demonstration?

PB: I wouldn’t say surprised, but it is really heartening to see the very strong engagement by all the stakeholders in seeking solutions for the agri-food sector to address climate change.   

CL: What advice would you give to another country government trying to do this kind of work?

PB: I wouldn’t provide advice for any other government as each situation is different.  Our analysis on how to tackle climate change, develop sustainable food system approaches and how to develop a bioeconomy to support climate action and rural and regional prosperity has led us to understand the important role systems innovation can play in such a transformation. To move from a theoretical outlook to a practical, methodological approach that implements a systems innovation approach requires engagement with expertise such as EIT Climate-KIC who can advise, develop events and aid the analysis of feedback and the design of innovation approaches to support systems change.  At best, we can suggest that our proactive approach is one example that could be put forward for other countries to consider.  

CL: What does a healthy and just climate future look like for you, and how do we get there? 

HL: A healthy and just climate future balances all the needs of society with a circular, low carbon economy while also protecting the ecosystems that surround it. It is a future where all voices have been given an opportunity to inform the process and aid transition to a resilient, climate neutral and sustainable economy.

CL: What inspires you to work on climate change mitigation and adaptation?

HL: Food security is a priority but obtaining this in a way that is sustainable and does not abuse our climate and our ecosystems is very important, we must strike a balance. Working in climate mitigation and adaptation, whether that be in one particular sector, brings you to the fore in contributing to and shaping a sustainable and resilient society for everyone and ensuring it is done in a measured and fair approach across the board is critical. Everyone must do their fair share.