Dáil hears of 7,000,000-strong national herd’s importance
Ireland ‘one of the most efficient producers of food globally’ despite 34% of emissions via sector
The Dáil was told that the debate should not be seen as a ‘binary choice between meat on the one hand and vegetables or plant-based diets on the other’. File photograph: Getty
If the entire national herd of seven million cattle was sacrificed “on the altar of climate change” there would be no net benefit because Ireland is “one of the most efficient producers of food globally”, the Dáil has heard.
Former minister for agriculture Michael Creed said Irish agriculture attracts a lot of interest because 34 per cent of emissions come from the sector.