The Teagasc Signpost programme has partnered with Drinks Ireland, which represents Irish drinks manufacturers and suppliers, to further reduce the environmental footprint of grain production, which is key to underpinning the future sustainability needs of Ireland’s drinks industry.
Working with Drinks Ireland and four of its leading member companies (Diageo, Heineken Ireland, Irish Distillers and William Grant & Sons), the partnership will lead and support the transition towards climate smart cropping systems that advance reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, while maximising carbon sequestration.
Each year, the Irish drinks industry is supported with grain production from more than 2,000 farmers producing approximately 300,000 tonnes of grain from approximately 45,000 hectares. The environmental sustainability credentials of the tillage sector are strong, with crop production producing the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per unit area of our main agricultural production systems. Nevertheless, to maximise sustainability and increase climate resilience in cropping systems, the Tillage farms in the Teagasc Signpost Farm Programme are taking a lead in the adoption and demonstration of key actions to further reduce environmental footprint of production.
Some of the indicators of success will include; establishing ground cover for spring cereal production, and exploiting all appropriate IPM measures available to reduce pesticide use on farm, developing a plan to improve fertiliser use efficiency while replacing chemical fertilizers by up to 20% with organic manure as well as implementing a soil C enhancement programme.