Agriculture

Converting by-products to biofuel will deliver jobs - if a stronger policy framework is put in place: An Taisce

Converting by-products to biofuel, particularly residues from agriculture, forestry and food processing, can deliver a significant jobs boost, but only if the right policies are put in place now, according to An Taisce, The National Trust for Ireland.

Internal government documents obtained by An Taisce reveal alternative vision for Irish agriculture in support of the environment

Essential reading for anyone interested in farming, nature conservation and Ireland’s environment more generally.

An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland – expressed concern in some of the details of Ireland’s new Rural Development Programme (RDP) for the 2014-2020 period. There were several positive developments. These include the relatively high level of co-financing for Pillar II of 46.3%, continued support for disadvantaged areas, the provision of incentives for the collective management of commonage, and a separate organic farming scheme.

Urgent energy demand reduction and legally binding greenhouse gas (GHG) limits are essential for humanity's long-term survival.

An Taisce, The National Trust for Ireland, has today called on Government to amend its ‘roadmap’ for electricity generation. An Taisce’s submission to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources calls for energy demand reductions and legally-binding greenhouse gas limits to slow climate change and provide hope for future generations.

Energy Demand Reductions:

An Taisce calls on Minister Coveney to protect the EU Soil Framework Directive and introduce CAP schemes to support soil regeneration

EU considering withdrawal of important environmental legislation

An Taisce – the National Trust for Ireland – today called on Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to take steps to protect the proposed EU Soil Framework Directive and to introduce schemes under the new CAP reform to support agricultural practices that preserve and regenerate soil health.

An Taisce calls for strong Climate Change Bill and re-evaluation of the sustainability of Food Harvest 2020.

An Taisce – the National Trust for Ireland – expressed concern at today’s release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) report showing that greenhouse gas emissions increased by 1% in 2012. To counter this, An Taisce calls on the government to deliver a strong Climate Change Bill with binding targets and to re-evaluate the sustainability of Food Harvest 2020.

Parking levy on out-of-town retail outlets would raise more than €16m a year - An Taisce's Pre-Budget submission

Implementing Government policy for a parking levy to help level the playing field between out-of-town retail outlets and town centre shops would yield at least €16m a year, An Taisce has told Government in its pre-budget submission.

[Dublin, Ireland] A new study launched today has found that the greening of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is on course to end in failure by allowing farmers to secure European funding while not taking measures to protect the environment. The study evaluates how a proposal supported by Agriculture Ministers under which farmers would be considered ‘green by definition’ could work on the ground in Ireland and four other Member States, and whether it can fulfill the objectives of the reform.

Restoring key safeguards for consumers hinges on proposals from Irish MEP Mairead McGuinness (FG). A pledge from Mairead McGuinness MEP to work to restore cross compliance for animal steroids has been welcomed by An Taisce and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB). The same organisations have also asked for her help to protect water supplies.

Broad swathe of civil society organisations ask MEPs to help ensure CAP reform follows citizens’ wishes.

The call from 276 organisations, including An Taisce – the National Trust for Ireland, is heavily critical of the stance of the European Parliament’s Agricultural Committee, saying that MEPs need to act as a whole to counteract the narrow-focus Committee which has followed an unfair and biased approach and failed to deliver on its mandate.

This is battle between the short term-ism of the Committee and the interests of Europe as a whole, says An Taisce.