Rethinking Decarbonization in Ireland's Dairy Sector: A Call for Action and Integrity

In over a decade of working alongside Ireland's dairy companies, I've seen the sector's commitment to energy and water efficiency firsthand. Yet, despite these efforts, the narrative surrounding the industry often fixates on its environmental impact, overshadowed by a barrage of negative press. This criticism frequently ignores a crucial fact: compared to global standards, Irish dairy, with its predominantly grass-fed model, has a significantly lower "hoofprint." It's time we address this discrepancy, challenge misinformed narratives, and confront the real barriers to decarbonization head-on.

The Grass-fed Model: A Green Backbone

Ireland's dairy sector stands out for its grass-fed system, which not only contributes to the high quality of dairy products but also to a comparatively lower carbon footprint. This system is a testament to the sector's inherent sustainability, a fact supported by organizations like Teagasc and Bord Bia and global research on dairy carbon footprint. Yet, the acknowledgment of this advantage often gets lost in the broader debate on decarbonization. There is often a narrative from government, environmentalists or other sectors of the economy - "We need to cull the herd". As an environmentalist, with a broad and deep understanding of this sector I know that culling the Irish dairy herd will only increase global emissions. The simple fact is global demand is increasing and we are one of the lowest carbon producers of dairy products. We can however cull our emissions through solutions which are based on real science and practical engineering.

This graph tells the story of lower per capita dairy product demands:

This one tells another story on population:

The Real Challenges: Quantity and Misguidance

One of the most pressing challenges in decarbonizing the industry is the sheer number of dairy farms in Ireland—around 18,000. This fragmentation complicates efforts to mobilize and unify these farms under a coherent and effective decarbonization strategy. Adding to this complexity is the legacy of misguided advice, particularly the promotion of chemical fertilizer use, monoculture systems and even recently the promotion of fossil fuel-based solutions like LPG. This advice, often backed by tunnel vision agricultural science focused on output as the only determination of value and irresponsible marketing from fossil fuel companies, has ensnared farmers in unsustainable practices, misleading them to believe in the false economy of chemical fertilizer and fossil fuel dependency.

A Frustrated Call for Action

It's frustrating to witness the slow pace of change, especially when solutions are within reach. The Irish government's Climate Action Plan outlines ambitious targets for sustainability and decarbonization, yet the path to achieving these goals for the dairy sector is fraught with obstacles. The potential for heat recovery from refrigeration systems, Anaerobic Digestion and the adoption of renewable energy sources, and the shift towards organic farming and multi-species swards are just a few examples of underutilized strategies that could significantly reduce the dairy sector's environmental impact.

The Threat of a "Land Grab"

The emergence of anaerobic digestion and biorefineries as viable solutions for waste management and renewable energy production is promising. However, this opportunity is marred by the risk of exploitation by fossil fuel interests. The prospect of these entities securing long-term feedstock contracts from farmers threatens to divert precious agricultural land from food production to energy crops, compromising food security and environmental sustainability. AD can be developed in Ireland, but the only way in my personal view is that this needs to be led by the co-operatives, for the benefit of the co-operative members and the communities they serve to maintain a balance between the needs of energy and the needs for productive and sustainable food output.

A Call for Cooperative Leadership

The future of Ireland's dairy sector and its decarbonization efforts should not be dictated by investment funds and fossil fuel companies. Instead, this journey must be led by cooperatives and communities, ensuring that the benefits of renewable energy and sustainable practices are realized by those who contribute to them. It's imperative that the dairy industry, supported by the guidance of Teagasc and the promotional efforts of Bord Bia, rally together to prioritize sustainable practices that serve the collective good over individual profits. It is my belief that the time is now, for a new collaborative effort across the main dairy co-operatives, one that mirrors the success of historical collaborations like that that brought Ornua to the fore - but one that focuses on protecting and restoring our environment, reducing the industries impact, taking control of the resources that will enable the development of a renewable fuels industry in Ireland and ensuring collective value is generated by our dairy farmers, for our dairy farmers and their communities.

Closing Thoughts

As someone deeply invested in the dairy sector's sustainable evolution, I am both frustrated by the challenges and optimistic about the potential for change. The Irish dairy industry, with its commitment to efficiency and sustainability, has and will indeed continue to set a global standard for decarbonization. However, this requires a unified effort to dispel myths, embrace innovation, and reject the false solutions peddled by those with vested interests in the status quo. It's time for the dairy sector to not only defend its achievements but also to aggressively pursue the opportunities for improvement that lie within our grasp.

The time for action is now, any more delay and we risk giving our most precious resource - our land and its bountiful crops to the interests that already control our economies - fossil fuel companies and global investment funds. This is a unique opportunity for Ireland to make this change before its too late. Don't get me wrong, they have a place in our green future, their capital and experience could be valuable, but they need to be minority partners.

Speak up, let your voice be hard and call your members and leaders to action - we have a responsibility to our planet and the next generation to ensure we maximize the environmental value of land, restore, protect it and protect our communities economies.

Don't give up our single greatest opportunity to create a new industry with shared value for all and dilute the control of outside interests on the Irish Agrifood economy.