Climate change could see farm exodus, according to poll
More than one-in-five Irish farmers have said the impact of climate change could lead them to quitting the farm.
Remarkably, 27 percent of respondents said they do not believe in climate change, with this minority view strongest among younger farmers.
There has also been a fall in the number of farmers who believe the Irish government is doing enough to combat climate change and a fall in the number of people who believe agriculture contributes negatively, irishexaminer.com reported.
Some parts of the country have been hit by severe fodder crises in recent years, not least as a result of the appalling winter weather of the past year, bookended by Hurricane Ophelia and Storm Emma’s plummeting temperatures.
The severe weather extended into the summer drought and a hosepipe ban, with farmers again fearing that a lack of growth would impact fodder stores for the winter ahead.
Asked in the Irish Examiner/icmsa opinion poll if climate change may lead them to leave farming altogether, 22 percent agreed (six percent strongly agreed) — a significant minority, even if 61 percent of respondents disagreed, including 44 percent who strongly disagreed.
Younger farmers were more likely to see climate change as a factor in their possible future departure from farming, with 30 percent of those under 35 years and 28 percent of those aged 35 to 44 in agreement.
Tillage and dairy farmers were also more likely to share that view compared with those working in other agricultural sectors, as were those with the smallest land holdings.
Another fodder crisis is not far from the minds of farmers — 77 percent of respondents in the poll agreed that ‘there needs to be government investment in irrigation and fodder to ensure better readiness for severe weather’.
That opinion is strongest among those under 35 (84 percent) and while it then tails off up through the age groups, 70 percdent of those aged 65 and over also agree.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, calls for more government action to head off a fodder crisis is also strongest among those with larger land holdings, peaking at 92 percent of those with farms of 120 acres or more. Tillage farmers are also more likely to hold this view than their counterparts in dairy, livestock, and other types of farming.
While 38 percent of respondents believe the government is doing enough to tackle climate change, this is a fall from the 52 percent of respondents who felt the same way a year ago.
By contrast, 48 percent of respondents this year disagree that the government’s efforts have been sufficient, a rise of 18 percent compared to last year’s findings.
Paul Deane, of the Environmental Research Institute at UCC and research fellow at the Center for Marine and Renewable Energy, said agriculture represents a different challenge for climate action.
“The sector has to look at options outside of livestock such as forestry or using land to grow energy crops to reduce emissions.”