Green Party urges Government to embed nature and climate action into agri-schemes

As Greens attend the Ploughing, they call for greater action for nature, climate and water quality.

As the Ploughing Championships kick off today in Tullamore, the Green Party is calling on Government to ensure that the next Irish CAP Strategic Plan and ACRES mainstream actions for nature, water quality and climate action to offer farmers viable financial incentives to help meet critical targets on nature restoration, improving water quality and sequestering carbon.

Speaking as he attended the National Ploughing Championships, Green Party Leader Roderic O’Gorman said,

“We see the challenges around nature restoration, improving water quality and meeting climate targets as a potential opportunity for Irish farm families. But it will only be so if long-term financial incentives are in place to support bespoke on-farm measures that deliver co-benefits for nature, water and climate as well as producing some of the best food in the world. Yet this Government has raided the Climate and Nature Fund to shore up shortfalls in the National Development Plan. €650 million of that fund was to be ringfenced to support farmers to restore nature, but now it’s gone. We can’t ask farmers to do all this work and offer them nothing in return”.

Green Party Senator and Spokesperson for Nature, Heritage, Farming and the Marine; Malcolm Noonan said that Government is sitting on its hands too while the CAP budget is being siphoned off to buy missiles.

“Over my time as Minister for Nature, I met with many farmers and engaged with the sector extensively on the Nature Restoration Regulation. One thing was clear to me; good results-based payment schemes worked and they were popular with farmers. Whether it was the Farming for Water, Breeding Waders EIP or the many LIFE projects, results were achieved through the hard work of farming communities but there was always a concern as projects reached an end. By co-designing such schemes into longer term funding cycles, I think that we can achieve great things. Unfortunately we have a Government that seems indifferent to the potential decimation of funding due to the EU Commission’s drive to divert more funding on defence and security. Surely our food security and the security of farm incomes is of equal importance”.

Green Party Spokesperson for the Environment, Cllr Seán Hartigan said:

“Farmers are absolutely vital in the fight against climate change and the restoration of our natural environment. With the right government support, they can lead the way in reducing carbon emissions through regenerative practices like agroforestry, organic farming, and soil carbon capture. At the same time, they are stewards of the land and have a unique opportunity to enhance biodiversity by creating wildlife corridors, protecting pollinators, and restoring hedgerows and wetlands. The current government need to go much further to financially incentivise farmers to build a thriving, nature-friendly food system that supports rural livelihoods while tackling the climate and ecological crises head-on”.