Complete carbon navigation now

APPLICANTS in the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) need to complete a Carbon Navigator by 31 October 2016. The Carbon Navigator is an assessment of carbon efficiency on farms rather than an assessment of the carbon footprint farms.

The Carbon Navigator is an online software system developed originally by Teagasc and now overseen by Bord Bia. The intention is that the system will help farmers understand how their farms produce greenhouse gasses (GHGs). It will help farmers identify GHG emission mitigation possibilities on their farm and allow them to identify a route to reducing emissions on their farm.

Beef production is an important industry to Ireland. There are approx. 1.1million suckler cows in Ireland with an annual output of 500Kt of beef worth €1.8bn. 93% of this beef is exported. At this point in time everyone is aware of the on-going requirements to reduce GHG emissions in order to abate climate change. Agriculture is the largest contributor to national GHG emissions making up 30% of the national total - with the beef sector being a significant fraction of the sector.

Internationally this is unusual with only New Zealand exceeding Ireland in the proportion of GHGs from agriculture. That said, due to our grass based system Irish beef has the fifth lowest carbon footprint in the EU.

It is important that Irish beef systems can be demonstrated to be sustainable and the objective in the medium term is for Ireland to become the most carbon efficient producer of beef in the EU. The Carbon Navigator is a first step along the road to creating on-farm awareness of GHG emissions and reducing our national beef carbon footprint.

There are 6 areas of efficiencies that are examined in the Beef Carbon Navigator. These are (1) length of grazing season, (2) daily live weight gain, (3) calving rate, (4) heifer age at first calving, (5) fertilizer nitrogen efficiency and (6) manure management. The farmer completes a simple input sheet which is used to establish current performance levels.

The system will indicate the potential for future performance by improvements in these 6 areas. This will prove a win:win situation as improvements in the 6 areas mentioned also mean an improvement in profitability of the beef enterprise.

As mentioned above the Carbon Navigator must be completed by BDGP participants by the end of October. Farmers should contact their adviser as soon as possible in order to get it completed. There is no fee for completion as the Department are covering the cost in full.