We are committed to supporting our farmers in ensuring the health and welfare of their herd is of a leading standard internationally. We have our own in-house veterinarian who leads advisory and animal welfare programmes which offer guidance and support as well as technical updates and advice. Andrew added: ‘Someone might think that they are doing the right thing for the environment by adopting a vegan diet but in fact they can be causing harm. These plans optimise grass production, which helps to nurture the healthiest herds and produce the highest quality milk. This makes for the most carbon-efficient dairy production in the EU and an annual grass growth rate. We have always been committed to sustainability and best practices. When asked about the Green party’s stated policy of incentivising Irish farmers to engage in more sustainable agricultural practices by, for example, incorporating increased tillage and horticultural farming, reducing their reliance on livestock, contributing to meeting forestry and biodiversity objectives, promoting organic farming and safeguarding animal welfare, Andrew responded: ‘I think some of these policies are very good ideas but they are not practical in real world applications without being heavily subsidised. He added: ‘We also have a great understanding of conservation when it comes to our tillage practices with cover crops and min till techniques. © Glanbia Ireland, 2020. I’d be very confident that we can stop or slow climate change (which is a natural process anyway) and also have a thriving agricultural sector in the future.’, Despite the obstacles facing Irish agriculture, Andrew ‘definitely’ wants to pursue a career in the sector, and is ‘very optimistic about the future of Irish farming as we are in a great place with our standards and quality.’. ‘I am all for eating my greens, and I think that plants are an important part of our diet and should be consumed, but a lot of the plant-based foods that we eat still have to be farmed, whether that happens in the fields of Irish farmers or elsewhere around the world. When asked about the proliferation of vegan and plant-based diets as a means of cultivating more sustainable lifestyles, Andrew responded: ‘The move towards veganism as a measure to reduce the impact of climate change is, I think, a fake solution to a serious problem. Sustainable Farming Like no other dairy company Open Source® is our sustainability and quality assurance programme. ‘We can already see more frequent storms and larger ranges in weather from season to season. The work is very healthy — you’re out physically moving in the fresh air every day. Nonetheless, many involved in Ireland’s agricultural sector have felt marginalised in recent years, amid claims of neglect of the rural economy at a national political level and a sense that the ever-increasing emphasis on sustainability and environmentalism has demonised the work of farmers. We promote the use of best-practice hygiene and animal welfare actions by all our suppliers. led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. We are proud of our sustainable practices which are core to our ethos. Covering diverse technical and skills domains, SFSI is developing long-term relationships across the world to support the development of safe, secure and sustainable value chains in the agriculture and food sectors. Professor Philip Nolan said that 'we can still save Christmas' amid concerns about spiralling COVID-19 numbers in the coming months. Some 86% of respondents said that establishing Irish leadership on climate-smart agriculture could benefit the agri-food sector. We also have to be very careful that the environmental actions we take work as intended; the planting of sitka spruce forests has done very little for biodiversity because they’re such thick forests that nothing can live on the forest floor. Environmental, social and economic sustainability is becoming more important in the purchasing decisions of global food companies. From transporting milk and grains from over 5,000 family farms, to distributing products across the world, we are continually evaluating and developing our methods. SFSI offers technical assistance in all aspects of agri-food development and regulation. It has also been accused of 'giving up' monitoring people who arrive into the country. The forum promotes awareness and adoption of Climate-Smart Agricultural policies and practices in Ireland and works to establish Ireland as a climate-smart leader internationally. Animal welfare is paramount to us and we are the only dairy ingredients company in the world to commission independent, third-party animal welfare verification. There were, of course, some very serious discussions during the US Vice Presidential debate on Wednesday, but it was a fly on Mike Pence that stole the show. Although Andrew is hopeful and confident about the future of Irish farming, he believes that the Government needs to work to protect smaller family farms: ‘Some of our current policies favour the bigger corporations and leave farmers exposed to their power when it comes to setting prices. As a producer of the highest-quality food and drink, the vast majority of which is exported around the world, Ireland has developed robust and integrated systems governing its agriculture and food. Open Source® is our sustainability and quality assurance programme. When asked about the increasingly negative conception of farming proliferating in Ireland, Andrew said: ‘I feel as a society in general a prejudice has developed in Ireland against farmers across a range of different aspects, and climate change is only the latest and loudest one yet. These practices drastically reduce soil erosion and when you look at parts of the US where this is not done, they lose around six tonnes an acre of soil per year. When asked whether there’s a common misunderstanding about the specific circumstances of Irish agriculture in comparison to global practices, Andrew responded: ‘I think Irish agriculture is leading the field when it comes to its practices. Environmental, social and economic sustainability is becoming more important in the purchasing decisions of global food companies. ‘I completely agree that we need to incentivise Irish farmers to engage in more sustainable practices, however it is very important that our policy makers remember our family farms and farm incomes. While biodiversity is very important and is in dire need of improvement, I don’t think that making small farms grow tillage crops or plant trees is a viable business approach because margins in tillage are tight and the equipment is so expensive and specialised now that many farmers can’t afford it. Farming has long formed an integral part of the economic, social and political lifeblood of Ireland, and the agri-food industry constitutes one of the nation’s most important indigenous manufacturing sectors. We believe grass-based production is a cost-effective, environmentally friendly and efficient way to feed dairy herds. ‘I feel that Irish farmers can very easily become more sustainable going forward, and are already making great leaps.’. The Government will today scrap the green list of countries to which it is safe to travel. Andrew went on to cite the example of grass-fed cattle and sheep, which have access to open air for 300 days a year in Ireland and are permanently kept indoors elsewhere. We are proud to be associated with ASSAP, a collaborative initiative between government and industry. We are a dairy and plant-based company supplying quality solutions and ingredients to markets across the globe. latest review published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, many involved in Ireland’s agricultural sector have felt marginalised, The future of Irish farming: Ag Science student on why agriculture can be part of the climate change solution, Farm prank videos ‘grossly irresponsible’ after eight deaths this year, Grand Princess cruise ship to dock with 21 coronavirus cases on board, * Sign up to the Extra..ie survey panel to trial free products and win prizes for your opinions! Ireland is now offering partner governments and organizations globally a single point of access to its national agriculture and food expertise – Sustainable Food Systems Ireland (SFSI). It shows just how well Irish agriculture is performing and yet we are still painted with the same brush.’. SFSI is a consortium of the largest public agencies responsible for the agriculture and food sectors in Ireland. We support our farmers’ sustainability work with a team of Milk Quality and Sustainability Managers who underpin the Open Source programme and assist milk suppliers to meet the SDAS standards. Andrew went on to address some of the misconceptions he has encountered about the realities of Irish farming, saying: ‘A very common presumption is that our cows and sheep that graze our lovely green grass are greenhouse gas factories which is simply not true. SFSI is a consortium of the largest public agencies responsible for the agriculture and food sectors in Ireland. As concerns proliferate about the future of farming in Ireland, Extra.ie spoke to Andrew French, an agricultural science student at UCD, about public attitudes towards the sector, the relationship between Irish farming and climate change and the way forward for the rural economy. According to the latest review published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the agri-food sector employs some 173,000 people in Ireland (7.7% of total national employment), and contributed some €13.7 billion to the national export economy in 2018.