To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail the steps his Department is taking to address methane emissions.

CAFRE’s knowledge transfer programmes focus on methane emissions arising from agricultural activity and emphasise to farmers the opportunities to reduce methane emissions from their farms. The main methane reduction practises and technologies are based around:

Improved livestock efficiency;

Improved manure management systems; and

New technologies including genomics, feed additives and slurry additives.

Farmers participating in the environmental element of CAFRE’s Business Development Groups Scheme have the opportunity to benchmark Greenhouse Gas emissions (including methane) from their farm. These farmers receive an individual report with advice on implementing mitigating actions.

In addition, my department supports the Agri-Forestry Greenhouse Gas Implementation Partnership’s (GHGIP) Efficient Farming Cuts Greenhouse Gases Implementation Plan aimed at tackling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture. The plan sets out a framework of actions that can help improve efficiency and reduce the carbon intensity of agricultural production.

I am also committed to tackling the problem of food waste and my Department are currently progressing and supporting a range of initiatives and behaviour change campaigns to help achieve this.