CAFRE to host understanding carbon on your farm event for dairy farmers

Dairy farmers are getting the opportunity to better understand how managing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in their business will not only improve their production efficiency, but also help secure dairy markets and meet retailer requirements. The ‘Carbon Challenge’ conference is taking place on Thursday 29 February, from 10:00am – 3:30pm, at Greenmount College.

Alan Agnew

“Reducing emisisons and meeting government 2050 Net Zero targets will require all dairy farmers to adapt their production systems and adopt new technologies over the coming years,” states Senior Dairying Adviser, Alan Agnew. “There is a lot of mis-information around the topic which causes confusion and apprehension amongst farmers. Hopefully this conference will provide clarity on many issues and allow farmers to make better informed decisions in responding to the challenge.”

The morning session will commence with an overview of the topic and a summary of the Net Zero regulations and government policy.  Speakers from the supply chain will then put farm emissions into the context of the carbon footprint of dairy product.  You will get insight what is being done to reduce the carbon footprint of feedstuffs and the importance of carbon benchmarking for the industry. The role of farm carbon efficiency and wider environmental issues in funding options and bank lending will also be covered. More practical measures and changes to farming activity that may be implemented on dairy farms to mitigate emissions and meet the Carbon challenge will be the focus of the afternoon session.

Greenhouse gas emissions are bringing about global warming and the resultant climate change is becoming increasingly evident in the weather we experience. Consumption of fossil fuels and deforestation are the major historic sources of the problem but agriculture is also a source of greenhouse gas emissions. The 2021 Northern Ireland Greenhouse gas inventory reports 28% of emissions from the agriculture sector and a further 10% from land use change. “Fortunately agriculture can also sequester carbon, locking it up in trees, hedges and soils,” points out Alan, “so farmers also have an important role in managing carbon stocks, and are a vital part of the solution to the climate crisis. It is also important to note that the role of agriculture is still recognised as being primarily food production - but with the need for it to have a lower carbon footprint.”

Dairy farmers can book their place for this conference online at the CAFRE website. Tickets cost £15 to cover lunch and early booking is recommended as places are limited.

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