The Environmental Challenge for IrishDairy-

A Common Proposal

NationalDairy SustainabilityInitiative

6 April 2017

Overview - Current Positions

National economic development – international market growth agriculture

Food Wise 2025, Origin Green

EU, Dept of HPCLG and LG- the Water Framework Directive –Nitrates Dgtn

EPA – Report on the State of the Env - Evidence Base - Catchments.ie

Dept of Agriculture/Teagasc ACP Programme

Teagasc Nutrient Management Planning

Teagasc Soil Fertility Improvement

Proposal for an integrating framework – all positions

Food Wise 2025 – Market Growth• Strong focus on Sustainability in Food Wise 2025,

recognition of significant challenges of agri-expansionin meeting national and international targets for airquality, bio-diversity and water quality.

• Strategies outlined to address and surpass significantchallenges for air quality, bio-diversity and waterquality, if economic gains to be achieved.

• Identification of need for significant effort –recognition that environmental sustainability andeconomic sustainability are complementary – scientificevidence based data to underpin Origin Green

• Ambition for Ireland to be world leader in sustainableagriculture as a differentiating market growth strategy

Ecologicalstatus acrossthe EU (2012)

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

1987-1990

2010-2012

1995-1997

1998-2000

2021

Expenditure 2000-2014 € billion

Context: River Water Quality, past, now, future?

Urban Waste Water

REPS Water

Farm Buildings

0 1 2 3 4 5

Slide source: Pat Duggan

2015

?

?

2027

%ri

ver

chan

ne

lle

ngt

hat

sati

sfac

tory

stat

us

?

€8bn for 5% improvement. Needs a new approachChallenging in the context of FH2020/Food Wise2025 strategies,

increasing population and implications of climate change.

80% agricultureareas not at risk,31% river andlake WBs At Riskof not meetingWFD objectives

NITRATES TIMELINE

It is possible that there will be conditionality to any nitrates derogation continuance in the light ofagri-expansion

EPA believes that the continuance of the derogation will be at risk if water quality objectives arenot being met and if trends are downward – problems in Netherlands, Denmark and UK

The Env reps of Member States will vote/decide by qualified majority

Some four meetings will take place at which Ireland will makes its case to the Env Ctte

Dept of HPCLG and Dept of Agriculture will make a case for the continuance of the existingderogation - public consultation re Nitrates Action Prog Q1/Q2 2017

By end 2017, the Environment Committee (Member States representatives) at DG Environment inthe EU Commission will adjudicate on Ireland’s application for a nitrates derogation

Dairy Sustainability Initiative

1

• Recognizing that environmental sustainability and economicsustainability are complementary

2• First Industry sustainability initiative involving Whole of

Government and Whole of Sector

3

• Address: Water, Soil & Air quality, Climate change targets on amulti annual basis to achieve Food Wise Sustainability objectives

Overview - Dairy SustainabilityInitiative - an Integrating Framework

Pro-active partnership, Collaborative, Whole of Sector, Whole of Govt, Industry ledworking with all stakeholders to address and seek to improve soil fertility/ nutrientmanagement planning/water quality/climate change/clean air/ bio-diversity over a5/6 year period.

National Dairy Sustainability Forum , Technical Working Group and Farm PilotsGroup to develop and implement the Integrating Framework.

Phase 1 being implemented – focus on water quality, climate change and ecology.

Phase 1 – promotion of on farm best practice by the Co-ops on NMP and on bestfarmyard practice and implementation farm pilots by six Co-ops with Teagasc.

Later phases with greater focus on Climate Change, Clean air and Bio-diversity.

Overview - Dairy SustainabilityInitiative – an Integrating Framework

Dairy Sector Participation in New River BasinNational Mgt Structures, launched Feb 2017

Roll out by Co-ops of learnings from pilots on aphased basis.

On-going evaluation of learnings.

Supporting Water Framework Directive,Climate Change, Bio-Diversity and Clean Air.

Supporting Food Wise, evolution/developmentof Origin Green.

IDIA Primary Processors

IDIA Secondary Processors

Dairy Sustainability SectoralWorking Group(Monthly Meetings)

IFAICMSAMacraICOS

IDIA and 6 Co-opsDAFM

DHCPLGEPA

TeagascBord Bia, NDC,

Local Authorities

IFAICMSAMacraICOSIDIA

TeagascBord Bia

DAFMAurivo,Carbery,Dairygold,Glanbia, Ornua, Lakeland,

Kerry, NDC

Dairy SustainabilityForum

(4 meetings a year)

EnvironmentalOutcomes

FarmerIncomes

CompanySustainability

Promotion - Soil Nutrient Management Planning/Soil FertilityImprovement

Promotion – Best Practice Farm Yard Waste Water

30 Pilot Farms x 6 IDIA Companies –learnings from Teagascprogrammes -underway

Funding of €1.6m for a 5 year programme being sought

Climate change strategy being prepared

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Index 1 Index 2 Index 3 Index 4

29% 30%

23%18%

Proportion of soils from Dairy Farms in 2015in each Soil P Index

Tipperary Dairy Farms (n = 1734 soil samples)

Source; Teagasc, Wall,D.P. 2016

Soil P fertility: Very Low Low Optimum High

Economics and Finances

• Dr D Wall of Teagasc estimates that there aresignificant financial/productivity benefits with agrassland soil fertility improvement/nutrientmanagement planning programme.

• Economics are compelling – boost grass drymatter production, reduction in fertiliser use,reduction in use of meal/concentrates, boostprofitability.

• Nutrients to where needed in soil – not to water.

Content by Ger Shortle and Teagasc team

Best Practice Farm Yard Waste Water- Content agreed by WorkingGroup and DSF

Best Practice Messaging – Content agreed Working Group andDSF

Communication and Promotion

Integration with NMP

Approach agreed

30 Pilot Farms x 6 IDIA Companies –learnings from Teagascprogrammes

Aurivo, Carbery, Dairygold, Glanbia, Lakeland, Kerry

Significant undertaking

Underway

Funding: EIP applications, Life, RDP

Implementation

Water Quality and Climate Change

Market growth

– sustainability factor

Regulatoryrisk/requirements

On-farmproductivity

improvement