Climate Policy for Ruminant Agriculture in Ireland

The relationship between climate change and agriculture is a contentious, complex and important one. In this series of blogs, UCD Adjunct Professor Frank Convery explores the context, challenges and potential solutions for dairy, beef and sheep farming in Ireland. Each blog presents key evidence to underpin informed debate and the series seeks to help plot a sustainable future for the sector.

Professor Frank Convery is an environmental economist with a distinguished academic career in Ireland and the US. He has chaired the boards of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Comhar Sustainable Development Council and served on the Climate Change Committee chaired by John FitzGerald, and the AgriFood 2030 Committee chaired by Tom Arnold. The latter produced Food Vision 2030. From 2014 to 2018, he was chief economist with the Environmental Defense Fund, New York.

His passion is finding ways to bring the weight of learning down to where things are done; his ambition for the sector is the same as Food Vision 2030’s: “Ireland will become a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) over the next decade. This will deliver significant benefits…and will also provide the basis for the future competitive advantage of the sector.”

Over the course of thirteen blog pieces in 2022 and 2023, Frank explores past performance and attitudes to the issue of climate policy for ruminant agriculture in Ireland; the emerging metrics revolution; key international markets; and the adequacy of the policy instruments in prospect to drive climate achievement by the sector, what changes would deliver better outcomes. The series concludes on the need for a mission-focused effort to find ways that work to reduce ruminant methane emissions at scale.

Their format is simple: an introduction, the key evidence that informs performance and prospects, and an assessment in which Frank presents his opinions as to what the data tells him. The sources of most of the evidence cited is provided, including, where available, links and page numbers. The blogs aim to make it as easy as possible for readers to access and to understand the data, and to encourage them to engage with both using it and finding more and better evidence.   

Debate about the agri-food sector’s contribution to Ireland’s climate action targets should be informed by top quality science and evidence. Frank Convery’s blog series is a welcome contribution to an informed, courteous and balanced debate.

Tom Arnold, Irish government special envoy for food systems