ICMSA query CSO ‘deep dive’ into agri data

“Farming emissions are down; Transport emissions are up! Where’s the ‘deep dive’ into Transport data?

The President of ICMSA, Denis Drennan, has said that farmers will be “fascinated” by the announcement that the CSO is to launch a new Agri-Environment Indicator Resource aimed at establishing the “understanding the dynamic relationship between agriculture and the environment” and updating the CSO’s data under various agri headings including Land Use, Biodiversity & Ecosystems Services, Climate & Environmental Impact, Soil Health and other areas.

Mr Drennan said that he looked forward to hearing the CSO announcement of similar 'deep dive' into the data around those other sectors identified as requiring action on environmental grounds such as urban waste water treatment, data centres and the impact of the Dublin Airport cap.

“ICMSA is just a little perplexed by the idea that the CSO is singling out farming and agri yet again for special attention under a variety of headings with the specific aim, it seems, of assembling ‘a comprehensive list of Agri-Environmental Indicators across various themes monitored and reported by the CSO in one central space’.

“We feel compelled to ask where the announcement of a Transport Indicator Resource is given that the Government’s own figures have agri emissions falling last year by around 4.5%, while Transport emissions not alone did not fall, but actually increased!”

Mr Drennan said there was a nagging suspicion “based on bitter experience” that despite the Government’s repeated assurances that every sector would have to play its role in reducing emissions, that some sectors – and specifically farming - was going to be saddled with a disproportionate share of the burden while others would be allowed to plead special exemptions and ‘vital national interest’.

The ICMSA President said that it was difficult to imagine a more ‘vital national interest’ than producing the food that powered a €16 billion export-orientated sector.

But the CSO announcement reinforced farmer suspicions that data was constantly being assembled to use in prescriptive regulatory way against them and the wider agri-sector while other sectors were allowed ‘mark their own homework’.

Mr Drennan cautioned the Government against even the perception of sectoral favouritism:

“ICMSA has always said that farming will play our part. But equally we have always said – and I’ll repeat it again – that we absolutely will not allow a situation where farmers or the farming sector is asked to carry other sectors’ burdens through to the new lower-emissions society and economy.

“Agri emissions are going down and going down significantly. Transport emissions are actually still rising. But the CSO announced a ‘deep-dive’ into the data from farming under several sub-headings?

“If there is a deep dive into agriculture, the same should apply to other sectors and the Government has to understand that we will not allow ourselves to be anyone’s ‘Whipping Boy’ here”, said Mr Drennan.

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