BORD BIAIRISH CATTLE FARMERS are participating in a Bord Bia scheme to assess the carbon footprint of the beef they produce.
The state food board is keen to ensure that Irish farmers are in a leading position to exploit the competitive advantage they enjoy in producing grass-fed cattle, widely regarded as more environmentally sustainable than cattle fed on cereal.
More than 7,000 beef farms have already been audited, according to Bord Bia’s quality and environmental assurance manager, Jim O’Toole.
“There’s nowhere else in the world that a fully accredited scheme to measure carbon emissions is happening on such a scale. Good farm management and farm practices will be the key to minimising the carbon footprint of Irish beef,” he says.
Bord Bia will also make recommendations to farmers on best practices and help them work with agriculture research body Teagasc to do this.