News in brief: Ireland’s agriculture department is organising a conference focusing on scientific research and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector. The event aims to update stakeholders on recent research and solutions related to methane, nitrous oxide, and soil carbon emissions.
Ministers at Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) will host a conference on agriculture and climate change at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on November 15, 2023.
The event is titled ‘Agriculture and Climate Change – Science into Action’ and will have a strong scientific focus, a local news source reported. It further said that the aim is to bring stakeholders up to date on recent Irish and international research to reducr greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the sector. It will outline the latest science on methane, nitrous oxide, and soil carbon.
Additionally, the conference will cover recent policy and science across various aspects of agriculture and climate change from national and international speakers. It will further focus on accelerating the implementation and deployment of proven methods to mitigate agriculture’s impact on climate change, and highlighting the public investment and international partnerships in science and research in this area.
Commenting on the conference, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said the government is investing heavily in the research underpinning agriculture and climate change. He added that this was particularly around mitigation measures for pasture-based systems.
Also, Minister of State with responsibility for research and development Martin Heydon made some observations on how there was more science, research and innovation being applied to the country’s food production system than ever before.
He added that there was a number of new scientific breakthroughs in agricultural research which can provide farmers with the tools they need to farm profitably and sustainably into the future. He reiterated his commitment towards supporting the critical research and translating it into real-world solutions.
Also commenting was the Minister of State with responsibility for land use and biodiversity Pippa Hackett who said that the climate conference is an important step to communicate the evidence base from department-funded projects.
Furthermore, Hackett celebrated at the inclusion of forestry on the conference agenda because it was part of wider diversification efforts in agriculture and land-use sector in its entirety.
The conference is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders from the agriculture and climate change sectors including farmers, policymakers, scientists, and researchers. Ultimately, it will be an opportunity for participants to share knowledge, discuss challenges and opportunities, and develop solutions to address the climate crisis.
