The complex nature of carbon emissions arising from food production gives rise to problematic misunderstandings, according to Dale Crammond, director of Ibec sector body Meat Industry Ireland. Noting the results of a recent ESRI study which found that 25 per cent of people had changed what they eat to reduce their carbon footprint, he points out that this change in behaviour will not necessarily result in a reduction in Ireland’s carbon emissions.
“If the average Irish consumer decides to eat less meat, as they are fully entitled to do, it will not actually lead to an emissions reduction in the national inventory,” he says. “Any beef, lamb, pork, or poultry not consumed in Ireland will simply be exported to meet the growing global demand. On the other hand if you were to use public transport more there would be an immediate benefit for the transport emissions inventory. Likewise, if you were to retrofit your home, making it more efficient, there would be an immediate benefit to the energy inventory and so on.”
He also notes a report published last year by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Office (UNFAO) which found that dietary change represented a small percentage of all known options to reduce agricultural greenhouse emissions globally. “The responsibility falls on the entire agricultural sector, working together, to deliver on the emissions reduction options available to us so that the consumer can continue to enjoy the nutritional benefits of meat. This is where the focus must be, and the sector is starting to generate real momentum in this regard. Emissions in the sector have peaked and are starting to decline, this is not the case for all sectors. Hopefully this will result in a more balanced commentary.”
The relatively low carbon footprint of Irish beef is also worthy of note, he adds. “Consumers must understand that our farmers produce beef in a way that minimises its impact on the environment with grass accounting for most the animal’s diet. The grass is often produced from land that would not support other agricultural enterprises such as tillage or horticulture.
“Grassland is the most climate resilient crop we have, so this is also important from a climate adaptation perspective. Our most efficient farmers are producing beef at 6kg CO2 per kg of beef, while beef in other parts of the world, the comparative figure could be as high as 80kg CO2 per kg of beef. There is no comparison, and our farmers should be praised, not vilified, for making such significant improvements over recent years. Ultimately this is what a just transition looks like for agriculture, with government and industry collaborating with farmers to drive efficiency improvements, thus reducing absolute emissions.”
Efforts continue to reduce emissions still further. “At a practical level the industry is focused on finishing animals earlier by using better genetics and farm management practices,” says Crammond. “Our industry invests €46 million annually in age-related bonus payments to encourage earlier finishing ages. The industry is also funding the world-leading National Genotyping Programme, which will allow the sector to breed more methane-efficient animals, thus reducing emissions further. Furthermore, an additional €150 million has been invested into animal health, biodiversity and knowledge-transfer programmes for farmers over the last five years.”
He emphasises the nutritional importance of meat. “Irish beef, lamb, pork, and poultry products contain essential vitamins and minerals that are critical for human nutrition. These include vitamin D, vitamin B12, manganese, iron, zinc, selenium and other essential amino acids, some of which are only found in animal-sourced foods. For children and the elderly animal-sourced protein is even more critical. Studies have shown that this animal protein is critical for proper neurocognitive and brain development in children.”
And not all protein is created equal. “Research is now showing us that animal protein is of a higher quality than plant-based protein and is generally more available to us as humans,” he says. “For example, there is the same amount of available protein in 100g of nutritious red meat as there is in 400g of chickpeas, a plant-based alternative. Therefore, from an available protein perspective the emissions levels associated with the cultivation of chickpeas versus our efficient beef production are much closer than many people realise. The nutritional science is there for everyone to review and simplistic narratives around meat must be avoided.”
He says consumers want to eat safe, nutritious and sustainably-produced animal products, and the Irish agri-food sector produces these products better than most. “As an industry we will continue to do everything we can to improve on our already excellent sustainability credentials. The Paris Agreement is clear, we must meet our climate objectives in a manner that does not threaten food security. Science, not ideology, will always win the day.”