What can 'the 12 steps' offer your farm?
Assap Fitzgerald, The Ploughing National At Padraig At Doorley, Teagasc Advisor, Stand Advisor Teagasc, Speaks Teagasc's Championships With Sean
Ireland is legally obliged to protect and improve its water quality by the EU Water Framework Directive.
To help meet it objectives, the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) was set up in 2018. The programme moves the focus away from enforcement to a new approach, where advice and collaboration on appropriate measures to protect water quality are agreed and implemented by farmers.
The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) scientists sample the water quality in the streams and refer any issues to the relevant implementation body (for example, forestry services, EPA, Irish Water, etc.). Where agriculture is deemed a pressure, a written referral goes to the local ASSAP advisor. The significant issue, whether it is nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment or pesticide, will guide the suitable mitigation measures on the farm.
The ASSAP advisor contacts the farmer to explain the water quality issue in the local stream and offers a visit to assess their farm. In general, an advisor will assess the land and drains near rivers and streams, the farmyard, use of fertiliser and pesticides, along with general land management.
The advisor and farmer will agree on what changes (if any) the farmer should focus on to reduce the risk to water quality. The practical advice will be designed to ‘break the pathway’ and prevent nutrients and sediment from entering water. A written summary of the advice and actions will be provided, and a timeframe for completion agreed.
This advice is entirely confidential and non-regulatory. While it is hoped that the advice given to farmers during these visits will be carried out, participation in the programme is entirely voluntary.
Running in conjunction with the ASSAP programme a new €60m Farming for Water EIP was recently launched for farmers in these Priority Areas for Action. This European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project will engage up to 15,000 farmers across the country where water quality needs to be improved.
The project will focus on areas needing the most attention to protect water quality. Farmers from within these areas will be invited to participate by appointed farm advisors or agents working on behalf of the project. This is because the project will focus on areas needing most attention to protect water quality. The project will work with the ASSAP (Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme) including the dairy co-op advisors and the wider agricultural industry.
The undertaking of these measures is voluntary and will go over and above regulatory requirements. These measures include spatially targeted actions and improvements in nitrogen use efficiencies.
Climate change has become a very topical issue over recent years. What is climate change, and what are we being asked to deliver? The science tells us that global temperatures are increasing, and this is impacting our weather patterns, biodiversity, flora, and fauna.
Temperatures are increasing as a result of increased levels of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in our environment. These GHGs are Carbon Dioxide, Methane and Nitrous Oxide. The main reason for the increased levels of GHG is the increase in CO2 in our environment coming from the burning of fossil fuels.
The Paris Agreement of 2015 agreed to limit the increase in global temperatures to not more than 1.5oC above preindustrial levels. The most recent research results show that we are very close to this figure already, and Europe, in particular, may have already exceeded that limit.
The Irish Government has signed into law the Climate Action Plan which sets out that the country has to reduce its emissions by 51% by 2030 and each sector has an individual target – power generation has to reduce by 75%, transport by 50% and agriculture by 25%. While the reduction for agriculture is the smallest it will not be an easy task to achieve.
The above is the background to the establishment of the Teagasc Signpost Programme. This programme helps advise farmers – first by establishing what the Carbon footprint is for the farm through the AgNav Programme and what steps the farmer can take to reduce the overall farm emissions. Teagasc has established a network of Demonstration farms across the country covering all of the farming enterprises. The practises which will reduce emissions are being implemented on these farms with the support of the local Teagasc Advisors and the Signpost Advisory team.
A list of actions has been created for each enterprise – The Twelve Steps. This sets out the actions which each farmer can implement on their farms. Building soil fertility and reducing the amount of chemical nitrogen and changing to NBPT Urea (Protected Urea) plays a large part in reducing emissions. Better grassland management, improved genetics and introducing clover into grassland swards are among the remaining actions.
The Twelve Steps can generally be described as good farming practice which will lead to a reduction in GHG emissions from your farm while also improving the overall farm profitability.
The Signpost Programme is a free service to all farmers, with advisors dealing specifically with the programme in each county. The target reduction in GHG emissions is challenging, but if everyone plays their part, it can be achieved.
