While they may not be as competitive from an economic standpoint, small farms in Ireland boast higher standards when it comes to environmental sustainability and their contribution to biodiversity, according to Teagasc.
The Irish agriculture and food development authority noted that there are 135,000 farms in Ireland, and some 48,000 of these could be considered ‘small’, with an average area of 13 hectares.
The environmental sustainability of these farms is reflected by their lower nitrogen and phosphorus balances compared to the rest of the farm population, Teagasc said, while the low stocking rate on the these farms results in low levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
Lower emissions output
In total, just 4% of the emissions produced by Irish agriculture originates from these 48,000 small farms – less than 1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
At the same time, however, the low output from these farms means that small farms produce more greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of meat than is the case for the rest of the cattle and sheep farm population.
‘This means that even though they produce very little GHG emissions in total, small farms are less GHG emissions efficient than the rest of the farm population,’ Teagasc noted.
Important for biodiversity
Elsewhere, due to to their ‘extremely extensive nature and minimal use of grassland management’, small farms tend to be an important repository for biodiversity, Teagasc said, and can play an important role in maintaining natural habitats.
Over the next five years, more than one-third (35%) of small farm operators intend to continue farming as is, with a further 27% intending to lease out their land, factors that could play a role in the overall sustainability of Irish agriculture.
‘Among those who plan to continue to farm, more than 50% were interested in switching from a conventional system to organics, with 40% interested in further involvement in agri-environmental schemes,’ Teagasc added.
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