Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for research and innovation, Martin Heydon TD, & Minister of State with responsibility for land use and biodiversity, Senator Pippa Hackett, announced that they will host a national agri-climate conference at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday 15th November 2023.
‘Agriculture and Climate Change – Science into Action’ will focus on:
• The latest policy and state of science across various aspects of agriculture and climate change from national and international speakers.
• Accelerating the implementation and deployment of proven methods to mitigate agricultures impact on climate change.
• Highlighting the public investment and international partnerships in science and research in this area.
In making the announcement, Minister McConalogue said, “I am pleased to announce today that my Department will host this major conference on agriculture and climate mitigation with a strong focus on science. The government is investing heavily in the research underpinning agriculture and climate change, particularly around mitigation measures for our pasture-based livestock systems. It is timely that our stakeholders are updated on the ongoing scientific and policy developments in this area.”
Minister of State Heydon added, “there is more science, research and innovation being applied in our food production system than ever before. We are seeing a number of new scientific breakthroughs in agricultural research that can provide farmers with the tools they need to farm profitably and sustainably into the future. As Minister with responsibility for research and development, I am committed to supporting this critical research and translating it into real-world solutions. This conference will be an opportunity to showcase the efforts currently underway across agriculture to mitigate its impact on climate.”
Minister of State Hackett also commented that, “the climate conference is an important step to communicate the evidence base from Department-funded projects, which is available for deployment and climate action for our stakeholders in the agri-food and forestry sectors. Forests, natural woodlands and hedgerows have significant potential to lock away carbon from the atmosphere, improve soil carbon and provide significant co-benefits for biodiversity and other environmental metrics. Therefore, I particularly welcome the inclusion of forestry on the conference agenda as part of the wider diversification efforts in agriculture and for the wider land-use sector as a whole.”
Further details on the conference are available here.
