Ireland is probably considering killing tens of thousands of cows – for the climate.
(Photo: IMAGO/MiS)
Dublin According to the Butter ad, Irish cows are the happiest in the world. But if you could read what is suggested in an internal paper from the Department of Agriculture in Dublin, that is unlikely to be the case. According to one proposal, almost 200,000 cows could be killed over the next three years in order to achieve the EU member’s climate goals. The 18,000 Irish dairy farmers feel overwhelmed.
“There should be bilateral talks to create a plan that gets the whole industry on board,” said Pat McCormack, President of the Association of Irish Milk Suppliers, the German Press Agency. “The government has to show commitment and present a budget to finance it.” In addition, such a program can only be voluntary.
It is clear that something has to be done. The environmental agency EPA recently announced that the country would likely miss its climate targets by a wide margin. One of these targets states that emissions from the agricultural sector alone should fall by 4 to 20 percent by 2030. Overall, Ireland wants to reduce the country’s emissions by 30 percent compared to 2005 levels as part of the EU burden-sharing regulation.
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue had already hinted that a voluntary climate program to reduce dairy cattle numbers would be considered. Meanwhile, the newspaper “Irish Independent” published a paper. It suggests that “core measures” set out so far to reduce emissions from agriculture, combined with “relocation” of livestock, could offer a route to meeting climate targets.
Specifically: “Approximately 65,000 dairy cows per year would have to be taken off the market in 2023, 2024 and 2025.” The solution was culling, wrote the “Independent”. According to the documents, the measures planned so far are not sufficient to achieve the climate targets. To close the gap, the ministry said “10 percent of livestock would need to be replaced by other activities” in the coming years. That would be 740,000 animals.
The government is determined to offer farmers “voluntary, financially attractive options, including diversification,” said a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Agriculture. The Independent talks of 3,000 euros per cow and 200 million euros annually by 2025. The spokeswoman emphasizes that the paper is “part of a consultation process” and is one of various options being examined. “It is not a final political decision.” The industry has already shown a high degree of sustainability. This ambition must be expanded.
Discussion also in France
Ireland isn’t the only country debating cows. The French Court of Auditors recently called for a strategy to reduce the number of cattle. Accordingly, the heavily subsidized cattle farming is responsible for 11.8 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in France – comparable to the emissions from residential buildings. In order to meet the obligations, the number of livestock would inevitably have to be significantly reduced.
More than 7 million cattle, including 1.55 million dairy cows, live in Ireland with a good 5 million inhabitants. For comparison: in 2022 there were 11 million cattle in Germany, including 4.3 million dairy cows. “We have already reduced our stock by 600,000 animals – partly for climate reasons – and are now at 3.7 million,” says Hans Foldenauer from the Federal Association of German Dairy Farmers. “The idea of killing animals for climate goals would be unimaginable in Germany.” There are other options. The German Farmers’ Association also rejects such steps, says a spokesman.
In fact, there are no corresponding plans in Germany. “For Germany, this is neither being considered nor discussed,” says a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. “The agricultural sector has continuously reduced its greenhouse gas emissions in recent years and is achieving the sector target set out in the Climate Protection Act.”
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