UCD Earth Institute Democracy & Environment Series IV: Irish Dairy Sector

UCD Earth Institute Democracy & Environment Series IV: The business case for delivering ambitious climate and water quality outcomes by the Irish dairy sector, and the policies it needs to do so.

The session will focus on finding ways that work to make Irish dairy a leader that combines commercial success and global climate and ecological leadership mirroring Food Vision 2030:

"Ireland will become a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) over the the next decade. This will deliver significant benefits ... and will also provide the basis for the future competitive advantage of the sector".

'If the brutal facts are not faced by leaders, the brutal reality sets in'. The late Andy Grove's (Intel) observation is relevant today to the Irish dairy sector. The brutal facts facing the dairy sector today include: emerging carbon footprint competition (Kgs CO2e/Kg product) in key export markets, which if it is seen to lose, is likley to reduce attractiveness of Irish dairy products in some premium (branded) markets; loss of nitrates derogation in some key dairy-intense catchments which will increase costs; collapse in farm-based afforestation rates and associated loss of carbon removal; if farmers and their co-ops do not hang together, they will hang separately with costs rising and revenues falling; under the EU's ('Efforts Sharing Regulation') reducing emissions by 42% by 2030 (mainly from agriculture) is expected to cost taxpayers ~€4 billion; we are on our own - effective EU policy unlikely before 2031.

Acting on the Facts

The session hosted by the UCD Earth Institute will include presentations by Professor Frank Convery; “Policy choices that will deliver outcomes at scale – from ‘brutal realities’ to global Leadership” and, the presentation; “Learning by Doing” by Darragh McCullough and Joe Leonard. Darragh McCullough is an Irish broadcaster and farmer specialising in agricultural and rural affairs and, Joe Leonard is an Irish farmer and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Nuffield Ireland and is the current Irish representative on the Board of Nuffield International. The presentations and follow-on discussion will be chaired by Damien O’Reilly, European affairs and communications manager from the Irish Co-Operative Organisation Society -ICOS-. The conversation will conclude with Alice Doyle, Deputy President of the Irish Farmers’ Association -IFA- as the panel discussant. The audience will be able to engage in a Q&A session, and connect with colleagues and participants at a light networking lunch immediately after the Seminar.

Don't miss this insightful event at MoLI – Museum of Literature Ireland!

Limited availability secure your place in advance.

Biographies

Professor Frank Convery

Frank Convery was Research Professor at ESRI, Heritage Trust Professor of Environmental Studies at UCD, and chief economist with the Environmental Defense Fund New York. He was educated at University College Dublin and the State University of New York and has degrees in forestry and resource economics. He is currently Emeritus Heritage Trust Professor of Environmental Studies at UCD. His research interests are in climate and environmental economics and policy. He served on the Food Vision 2030 Group chaired by Tom Arnold and has written a series of evidence-based blogs for the UCD Earth Institute on climate policy for Irish ruminant farming available at: Climate Policy for Ruminant Agriculture in Ireland blog | UCD Earth Institute

Darragh McCullough

He is a UCD graduate in agriculture, and an active farmer in County Meath, owner of a daffodil farm and partner with Joe Leonard of a dairy farm. He is also distinguished broadcaster and writer on Irish farming and its challenges. His current work includes being a lead contributor and reporter on TV (‘Ear to the Ground’) and print journalist with a weekly column with the ‘Farming Independent’.

Joe Leonard

Joe was awarded the 2014 Nuffield Ireland Scholarship, sponsored by the Peter Daly Trust, Dairymaster and LIC. Joe is a dairy farmer currently milking 560 cows in a milk production partnership with Darragh McCullough As an industry, Joe feels that agriculture needs to recognise that the farmer is the single most important factor in the success of the business. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Nuffield Ireland and is the current Irish representative on the Board of Nuffield International.

Damien O'Reilly

Damien joined ICOS as EU Affairs and Communications Manager in November 2022. Previously, he spent 24 years as a broadcast journalist with RTE Radio 1. Before leaving the media, Damien presented Countrywide, an award-winning farming, food and rural affairs programme. He also worked across other areas including news, sport and current affairs.

Alice Doyle

Alice Doyle is Deputy President, Irish Farmers Association (IFA). She has been living and farming with her husband Tom on their beef and tillage farm near Gorey, Co Wexford for over 30 years. She worked as a Primary School Principal, chaired the Wexford Mental Health Association, served as national secretary of Macra Na Feirme, and chaired the IFA’s Farm Family and Social Affairs Committee. She has been appointed to the Teagasc Authority.

About the 'Democracy and the Environment' Seminar Series

The UCD Earth Institute presents the 'Democracy and the Environment Series', a sequence of seminars and discussions focused on the role of democracy and the environment, citizen trust in public institutions, and the sustainability agenda in the context of the local and presidential elections.

This event will be hosted in person at the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) in Dublin, and capacity is limited. Advanced registration is required.

Context: 2024 The Most Important Year for Democracy

2024 is the most significant election year in history. Approximately 60 countries representing more than half of the world's total population will elect their representatives in presidential, legislative and local elections across the globe. From South to North America, across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, citizens will vote in the most ambitious year for democracy. In many countries, at the centre of the elections, amongst other topics, climate change, sustainability and climate transition will be part of the conversation that will decide the future of each country. The relevance of this year's elections deserves the facilitation of a space to highlight the work of the researchers and connect it with the broader society, including citizens, local authorities, politicians and academia, enabling a space for collaboration and conversation.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

MoLI – Museum of Literature Ireland, 86 Saint Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland