The state faces the prospect of paying more than €250m buying bogs on which turf- cutting is no longer allowed.

Farmers could be set for a massive windfall after a report commissioned by Environment Minister John Gormley said the cost of buying 130 bogs across the country could reach “in excess” of €227m, plus another €50m in legal costs.

But even if the bogs are not bought outright, the minister is considering buying turbary (turf cutting) rights from affected landowners.

The cost of doing this would be €54m, paid out over six years. A compensation scheme for landowners is also being considered, which would cost €42m over 14 years.

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“We need nothing less than a CAP [Common Agricultural Policy] that respects [soil and water] and promotes practices that use them in a sustainable and resource-efficient way. We also need a CAP that can invest in protecting and restoring them when they have been degraded, contaminated or polluted,” Potočnik continued, calling for a “profound greening” of the CAP.

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On the Occasion of World Wetland Day 2010 events are taking place all over the world– see Ramsar Convention website
In Trinity College, a seminar with guest speakers and discussion workgroups will focus on concrete action for better protection of wetlands and wetland functions, especially wetland value for flood control and biodiversity.

The event is being organised by Coastwatch in cooperation with Civil and Environmental Engineering TCD. The proceedings are to be published and used towards wise management of wetlands.

For more information click here

The revised Programme, which provides for spending of additional funds for rural development arising under the Health Check and the European Economic Recovery Package, includes the new agri-environment scheme as well as a number of new on-farm investment schemes.

The new agri-environment scheme will benefit up to 10,000 participants and will provide a maximum payment of €5,000, as Minister Smith had previously stated at the time of Budget 2010 last month. It is focused on the priority areas of biodiversity, climate change and water management. It offers a menu of measures addressing these priorities and farmers may choose measures which complement the environmental profile of their farms. Details of the operation of the new agri-environment scheme will be finalised over the next few weeks.

The investment schemes include measures for dairy and sheep farmers, pig and poultry welfare measures and a water conservation scheme. In addition, provision has also been made for funding of establishment grants for bio-energy crops.

The revised Programme must now be formally approved by the European Commission and this is expected by the end of February. The roll-out of the various investment schemes will be phased over the lifetime of the Programme.

Link to article

Brendan Smith TD, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has indicated that Ireland fully supports the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.
Ireland has consistently raised the urgent need to address the parallel challenges of increasing food output to meet the growing worldwide demand and at the same time dealing effectively with climate change both in terms of adaptation and mitigation. World food production must be increased by 70% by 2050 while at the same time there is a need to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Dealing with climate change in the agriculture sector and at the same time achieving food security, is the great twin-challenge facing the world.

The Minister said

“We also recognise the importance of research aimed at meeting these twin challenges. Ireland has a long track record of research to increase efficiency in the sector. In recent years we have refocused the programme on greenhouse gas mitigation. We are aware of the problem that has to be solved and of how difficult it is to achieve progress – our experts have indicated that the currently available technical mitigation options will mitigate emissions in Ireland by less than 4% compared to business as usual. Co-operation in focused research and sharing of information will be essential to achieve progress. This Global Research Alliance is an important initiative is important for agriculture and food security. We are committing our knowledge, research and expertise to the Alliance”.

Click here for press release from DAFF

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Researchers from 17 European countries cooperating in the EU-Integrated Project CarboEurope, led by Detlef Schulze, of the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, Germany have compiled the first comprehensive greenhouse gas balance of Europe.

A strong carbon sink of -305 Million tonnes of carbon per year exists in European forests and grasslands which could offset 19% of the emission from fossil fuel burning. However this is partly cancelled out by agricultural land and drainage of peat-land  which emits CO_2. The resulting net CO₂ sink of the European continent is 274 Million tonnes of carbon per year – only 15% of the emissions from fossil fuel burning.

However all European ecosystems are managed and as a by-product of land management other powerful greenhouse gases are released – for example nitrous oxide from fertilizers applied to grassland and crops, and methane from ruminants and from peat-lands. These previously neglected emissions of greenhouse gases from land-use cancel out almost the entire carbon sink, leaving the landscape offsetting only some 2% of the CO₂ emissions from households, transport and industry. 

The situation is worse when focusing on the 25 EU states. Here, although forests and grasslands can compensate for 13% of the CO₂ emitted by fossil fuel burning, emission of powerful greenhouse gases from agricultural emissions and peat mining reduces the effectiveness of the land surface sink to 111 Million tonnes of carbon per year, which is only 11% of the CO₂ emitted by fossil fuels. However, since the emissions of methane and nitrous oxide are relatively higher in the European Union the land surface emerges as a greenhouse gas source of 34 Million tonnes of carbon per year. This effectively increases the emissions from fossil fuel burning by another 3%.

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Allan will argue that while livestock may be part of the problem, they can also be an important part of the solution. He has demonstrated time and again in Africa, Australia and North and South America that, properly managed, they are essential to land restoration. With the right techniques, plant growth is lusher, the water table is higher, wildlife thrives, soil carbon increases and, surprisingly, perhaps four times as many cattle can be kept.

Admission €10, but €5 to members of the sponsoring organisations and the unwaged. Enquiries to climate@feasta.org or to (098) 25313 or (01) 661 9572

Click here to download the lecture flyer.