Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD today (7th February ) welcomed the first meeting of the Food Vision Dairy Group.
The Group, consisting of key stakeholders from the dairy sector and chaired by Professor Gerry Boyle met to discuss how the dairy sector can contribute to meeting the challenging targets set for the agriculture sector under the Climate Action Act process.
“produce a detailed plan by Q2 2022 to manage the sustainable environmental footprint of the dairy sector”.
Given the importance of providing certainty for the sector, the Group has been tasked to provide an initial report to the Minister by end March setting out how emissions associated with the dairy sector can be stabilised, and then reduced, with a final plan to be submitted by the end of quarter two 2022.
Minister McConalogue thanked the Group’s chair Professor Gerry Boyle for taking on this important role and the members of the Group for their active participation in discussions.
Minister McConalogue commented:
“I am confident that working together we can stabilise and then reduce emissions from the dairy sector, positioning Ireland as a world leader in sustainable food systems, meeting our climate targets, and ensuring that the market delivers a reward for our quality, sustainably produced food, particularly for our farmers, and their families who are the bedrock of the sector.
“We want to ensure that we continue to have a sector that is vibrant and attractive to new entrants. We have to think about how we ensure that there is space for generational renewal and new entrants to the sector, or for those with marginal enterprises to improve viability, and space to encourage innovation and value addition.
The second meeting of the Food Vision Dairy Group will take place later in February.
Presentations made at the meeting will be made available on gov.ie
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