Let’s stop tiptoeing around agriculture

Sir, – Many, many articles in The Irish Times have been devoted to climate matters over the last couple of weeks. Thank you.

However, is it not the case that 36 per cent of our emissions emanate from agriculture? Articles on agriculture or land use are rare.

Where are the analytical articles about the many faces of agriculture in this country? About proposed solutions? About how other countries such as Denmark or New Zealand are proposing to deal with this challenge?

Where are the articles on how we can protect our farmers in a fair way while also protecting the rest of the world from our contribution to climate breakdown? Or on who really makes the profit from Irish agriculture?

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Citizens need information to make decisions. Media is an essential component of democracy. The paucity of informed articles about the nuances and challenges of this most important sector leave us wide open to the powerful lobbyists moving in to serve themselves some more profit on the back of the poorest in Ireland and the rest of the world.

Let’s stop tiptoeing around agriculture.

Let’s talk to farmers, scientists and policymakers about what we can do together about this green island of ours. Let’s have some investigative journalism on this topic. Please act fast, time is running out.

Into the vacuum move lobbyists representing those who will make money while it is in their interests to pit farmers against urban dwellers, farmers against environmentalists, farmers against the youth climate movement.

We have the solutions. Together and informed we can take caring, brave action to transform our gorgeous green land!

– Yours, etc,

CHRISTINE MAGEE,

Dún Laoghaire,

Co Dublin.