Background
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) is a farm lobby group representing milk producers in Ireland.
The ICSMA has described itself as “the family farm organisation”.1“History of the ICMSA,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, 2024. Archived October 24, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/WYHIh It was founded in 1950 “to organise creamery milk suppliers throughout the country and to safeguard their interests” in response to government plans to cut milk prices.2“History of the ICMSA,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, 2024. Archived October 24, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/WYHIh
The ICMSA has claimed to organise farmers on an “entirely non-political and non-sectarian basis” and to lobby on behalf of all dairy and livestock farmers on the EU, local and national levels.3“About ICMSA,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association. Archived February 24, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/5yEj2 Headquartered in Limerick, Ireland, it claims around 16,000 members, organised in 72 areas by branch, counties, and regions.4“History of the ICMSA,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, 2024. Archived October 24, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/WYHIh
The ICMSA has consistently lobbied against the inclusion of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions reductions or regulation in national climate goals. For example, the ICMSA lobbied against the 2011 Climate Bill,5John Gibbons. “Denial and self-interested delusion on Climate Bill,” ThinkOrSwim Blog. Archived June 30, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/DkhSn and has opposed effective limits or carbon taxes on agricultural emissions.6“ICMSA Submission to the Joint Committee on Climate Change,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, December 12, 2018. Archived February 27, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kXdSw
The ICMSA has acknowledged that “methane is our biggest contributor to GHG emissions and is a direct consequence of increased cattle numbers”. At the same time, it has focused on stabilising methane emissions at around the current level.7“ICMSA say ‘drill-down’ into EPA Report shows progress made,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, October 30, 2019. Archived August 11, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/bA8aM
Between 2010 and 2022, total dairy cow emissions of methane, the potent greenhouse gas, increased by 64 percent, alongside an extraordinary 67 percent rise in Irish milk production.8“Agriculture_2022_WEM-EPA-Ireland-2024.xlsx,” [GHG Inventory, Excel spreadsheet] Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland. August 2024. Archived February 27, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/0q4gK
The ICMSA has also opposed changes to Ireland’s exemption from the EU Nitrates Directive, which aims to limit the livestock sector’s substantial contribution to water pollution.9“Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed),” Joint Committee on Agriculture, May 29, 2024. Archived June 20, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/RZNCn
In September 2024, the ICMSA was among six groups that launched a coordinated lobbying push,10“Retaining Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation – Common Objectives – A Joint Declaration from Farm Organisations, Co-operatives and the Dairy and Meat Processors,” Irish Farmers Association, September 16, 2024. Archived September 18, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wJpIQ issuing a joint declaration lobbying for retention of the country’s derogation from the EU Nitrates Directive, which allows farmers to use additional nitrogen fertiliser in slurry and chemical form.11“Retaining Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation Common Objectives: A Joint Declaration from Farm Organisations, Co-operatives and the Dairy and Meat Processors,” Irish Farmers Association, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, Dairy Industry Ireland, Meat Industry Ireland, Macra, September, 2024. Archived September 18, 2024. Archive URL https://archive.ph/njG9v
The ICMSA has promoted meat and dairy agriculture products as sustainable and its industry as beneficial to Ireland’s economy, despite extensive evidence of the sector’s climate and pollution failings.12Fran McNulty. “The climate cost of Ireland’s dairy boom,” RTÉ, July 10, 2023. Archived July 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/FVeCv The agri-food industry accounted for just eight percent of Ireland’s GDP in 2024,13“Irish Sector Profiles,” Bord Bia, Irish Food Board, 2025. Archived February 28, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/HRSXD with milk products making up only about 0.7 percent of gross export value.14“The Atlas of Economic Complexity: Ireland Export Basket in 2022 – Gross Exports,” Harvard Growth Lab, 2025. Archived February 28, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wr8Mc
Milk production in Ireland exploded since the abolishment of EU milk quotas in 2015 (dipping slightly in 2023 after a highly profitable year for dairy farmers in 2022).15“Ireland sees 37% drop in number of liquid milk producers,” Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, 2024. Archived August 20, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/PVagW Between 1990 and 2023, the Irish livestock sector accounted for 38 percent of national GHG emissions16“Ireland’s Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2023,” Environmental Protection Agency Ireland, July 2024. Archived July 9, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kf3rB and 99 percent of ammonia air pollution.17“Ireland’s Air Pollutant Emissions 1990-2030 May 2024,” Environmental Protection Agency Ireland, 2024. Archived May 13, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/CYE7Z Nitrate and phosphate nutrient losses from the livestock sector have been the largest contributor to water body pollution.18“Water Quality in 2023,” Environmental Protection Agency Ireland, 2024. Archived June 12, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/vRwjB
Stance on Climate Change
The ICMSA has acknowledged the importance of tackling climate change and the impact of climate-related extreme weather events on farming.19“ICMSA Submission to the Joint Committee on Climate Change,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, December 12, 2018. Archived February 27, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kXdSw
However, the ICMSA has also said that mitigation policies “should not undermine food production”, and has frequently cited efficiency improvement and carbon sequestration as tools to reduce the agriculture sector’s climate impact.20“Environment,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association. Archived February 1, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/7VOqv
In 2021 the European Court of Auditors presented evidence that efficiency measures had so far failed to cut emissions, and that Ireland had seen “substantial” increases due to its growing livestock herd.21“Common Agricultural Policy and climate: Half of EU climate spending but farm emissions are not decreasing,” European Court of Auditors, June, 2021. Archived June 21, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/YihLR
The IPCC have stated that “limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of all greenhouse gas emissions”,22IPCC. “Climate Change 2013 The Physical Science Basis,” Working Group I contribution to the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment, 2013. Archived December 26, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/f1UHQ including methane. Irish dairy expansion since 2010 has instead increased agricultural methane emissions.23Paul Price. “Agricultural Methane in Irish Climate Action: greenhouse gas metrics, methane mitigation, and related quantification of livestock numbers,” An Taisce, June, 2024. Archived 18 June, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/gYDaQ
Agriculture’s ability to sequester carbon on a timescale long enough to address climate change has been refuted by academic research.24Joe Fassler. “Research Undermines Claims that Soil Carbon Can Offset Livestock Emissions,” DeSmog, February 1, 2024.
In March 2024, ICMSA President Denis Drennan spoke to Gript (a socially conservative Irish news website) about government plans to focus more on climate action in the school curriculum.25“Media Ownership Monitor Ireland, 2023,” Gript, 2023. Archived June 21, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/6bKph He said that “ICMSA accepts the reality of climate change and our responsibility – along with everyone else – to step up and meet the challenge”.26Ben Scallan. “ICMSA hits out at “biased” Leaving Cert climate curriculum plan,” Gript, March 19, 2024. Archived March 19, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/SAOzZ
However, he added that “we object completely to the kind of baseless and groundless discourse that has farmers – and farmers alone – as the ‘environmental baddies’, while everyone else is absolved of the need to do anything meaningful that might discomfort or inconvenience themselves”.
Scientists from Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have strongly critiqued Irish agriculture’s negative environmental impacts. In June 2021 Sharon Finegan, the EPA’s director of environmental sustainability, told the parliamentary Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action that the growth of Irish agriculture was “happening at the expense of the environment, as evident by trends in emissions, water quality and biodiversity all going in the wrong direction”.27Kayle Crosson. “EPA: significant “step change” needed for Irish agriculture,” Green News Ireland, June 29, 2021. Archived June 29, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ltjLr
Noting that agriculture was on course to account for 40 percent of total Irish emissions by 2030, Finegan added that “business as usual scenarios will not reverse these trends. New measures must go beyond improving efficiencies by focusing on reducing total emissions by breaking the link between animal numbers, fertiliser use and deteriorated water quality”.
Finnegan called for “a significant step-change in what is done” in all sectors, including agriculture, and suggested “that direct payments [from the EU to farmers] be linked to land use” to “encourage increased ambition”.
September 2024
The ICMSA was among six farm lobby and meat and dairy processor groups that issued a statement28“Retaining Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation – Common Objectives – A Joint Declaration from Farm Organisations, Co-operatives and the Dairy and Meat Processors,” Irish Farmers Association, September 16, 2024. Archived September 18, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wJpIQ and associated document29“Retaining Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation – Common Objectives: A Joint Declaration from Farm Organisations, Co-operatives and the Dairy and Meat Processors,” Irish Farmers Association, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, Dairy Industry Ireland, Meat Industry Ireland, and Macra, September 2024. Archived September 23, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. in a campaign against the removal of Ireland’s nitrates derogation. The exemption allows selected farmers to spread more nitrates than is normally allowed under EU law, subject to specific environmental checks.
The statement – which was also supported by Dairy Industry Ireland (DII), Meat Industry Ireland (MII), the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS), and Macra – warned of “widespread negative economic consequences for Ireland’s rural economy”.
It did not appear to address concerns about the negative impact of agriculture on water and air due to nitrate and phosphate losses from Ireland’s livestock sector, which has been “the most dominant significant pressure on water quality”.30“Update on pressures impacting on water quality,” Environmental Protection Agency Ireland, May 2024. Archived June 17, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8MwkA Ireland is just one of just five EU member states to have recently held derogations from the directive. (For more detail, see DeSmog’s background note on the EU Nitrates Directive).
November 2021
Then-ICMSA President Pat McCormack criticised the Irish Government’s 2021 Climate Action Plan. The government’s plan set out a framework to achieve a 22 to 27 percent reduction in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and a major reduction in chemical nitrogen fertiliser use by 2030.31“Climate Action Plan,” Government of Ireland, January 8, 2024. Archived May 2, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/zsGaB
McCormack said, “There’s a huge challenge for our industry and how we arrive at the reductions without cutting the [cattle] herd”.32Angela Symons and Thomas Blade. “Irish farmers could be forced to kill livestock to meet climate targets, say industry experts,” Euronews, August 31, 2022. Archived August 31, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/nPYqp
Although the Annex of Actions for the plan did not list mandatory reductions in cattle numbers as a method for reducing emissions,33“CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 2021 Annex of Actions,” Government of Ireland, 2021. Archived December 22, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. it did target a major reduction in nitrogen use. Such a potential reduction does imply a reduction in cattle numbers, given Irish agriculture’s strong dependence on nitrogen fertiliser to grow grass to feed cattle.34David Wall. “Challenges and opportunities for environmentally sustainable nutrient use, in: Fertiliser Association of Ireland Proceedings 2019,” Fertiliser Association of Ireland, February, 2019. Archived September 27, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/IVVRC
McCormack later noted that a reduction in herd numbers would be inevitable even if it was not compulsory, saying, “We see them culling through the back door […] through the nitrates regulation”.35Angela Symons and Thomas Blade. “Irish farmers could be forced to kill livestock to meet climate targets, say industry experts,” Euronews, August 31, 2022. Archived August 31, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/nPYqp He was referring to the potential removal of Ireland’s derogation from compliance with the EU’s Nitrates Directive, its water quality protection regulation.36“Nitrates: Protecting waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources,” European Commission, 2024. Archived July 6, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/ejdti
Immediately prior to publication of the 2021 plan, the Irish Farmers Journal released a report from consultancy KPMG,37“In full: the KPMG economic impact report on cutting emissions on farming,” Irish Farmers Journal, October 28, 2021. Archived April 13, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/buS1n claiming that reductions of up to 1.3 million cattle were needed to reach Ireland’s emissions reduction targets. Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the report as “scaremongering”, according to The Guardian.38Lisa O’Carroll. “Ireland would need to cull up to 1.3 million cattle to reach climate targets,” The Guardian, November 3, 2021. Archived March 19, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/yl099
McCormack described the report as “a valid attempt to quantify the certain disastrous economic impact on farming and the wider rural economy of over-simplified and restrictive environmental measures”.39Pat O’Toole. “Farm Leaders Have Their Say on the CCAC and KPMG Reports,” Irish Farmers Journal, November 3, 2021. Archived March 21, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/CAtcs
The KPMG report did confirm that substantial reductions in dairy and beef cattle would result in substantial reductions in emissions. Notably, the “economic analysis process” in the report failed to assess increases in tillage or horticulture production that would offset reduced milk and livestock production.40“In full: the KPMG economic impact report on cutting emissions on farming,” Irish Farmers Journal, October 28, 2021. Archived April 13, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/buS1n
February 2021
The ICMSA picked up on comments by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, who warned it would be “very, very challenging to reduce emissions overall if the herd size increased”.41Caitríona Morrissey. “‘Mature discussion’ needed on dairy herd expansion – McConalogue,” Irish Farmers Journal, January 28, 2021. Archived March 3, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/nXidv
ICMSA then-President Pat McCormack responded in the Irish Farmers Journal by saying that “any logical answer to that conundrum has to start from the obvious logic of locating milk production in regions where it is most carbon efficient and, in the case of milk, that meant Ireland”.
He said the minister’s comments “avoid[ed] the core question of how we reconcile the reduction of carbon emissions with a growing global population”.42Caitríona Morrissey. “Carbon efficiency of Irish milk must be accounted for – ICMSA,” Irish Farmers Journal, February 3, 2021. Archived February 28, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/ELMpI
However, scientific research has confirmed that meeting stringent global climate change targets while feeding the growing global population can likely only be achieved through widespread adoption of plant-rich diets, which would greatly decrease projected food emissions relative to animal-derived food.43Michael A. Clark et al. “Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5° and 2°C climate change targets,” Science, November 6, 2020. Archived on March 28, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/qPFzo
The claim that Ireland produces the “most efficient” dairy stems from a 2010 study conducted by the EU Joint Research Centre using data from 2004.44Adrian Leip et al. “Evaluation of the livestock sector’s contribution to the EU greenhouse gas emissions,” European Union Joint Research Centre, November 30, 2010. Archived March 29, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/Knofk The study’s assumptions about land use and carbon sequestration are now regarded as obsolete.45Sophie Kevany. “Where’s the beef? Outdated data leads to uncertainty on way forward,” The Irish Times, May 28, 2020. Archived May 28, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.is/nA5gN
June 2019
The ICMSA criticised Ireland’s climate targets for agriculture in a submission to the Government’s 2019 Draft National Risk Assessment, claiming that they posed an existential risk to the rural economy.46“Submission to the Department of An Taoiseach on the Draft National Risk Assessment 2019,” ICMSA, June, 2019. Archived October 15, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
In the submission, the ICMSA also emphasized efforts to improve the carbon footprint of milk by reducing the emissions intensity per kilogram of milk production in Ireland.
Evidence shows efficiency gains have been eclipsed by the high herd numbers in Ireland. Methane emissions from cattle overall have increased by 20 percent due to a 67 percent increase in milk production from 2010 to 2021.47Paul Price. “Agricultural Methane in Irish Climate Action: greenhouse gas metrics, methane mitigation, and related quantification of livestock numbers,” An Taisce, June, 2024. Archived 18 June, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/gYDaQ
December 2018
In a submission to Ireland’s Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, the ICMSA opposed a tax on agricultural greenhouse gases that claimed Ireland has one of the world’s “most carbon efficient” farming systems. The submission claimed that a carbon tax was “short-sighted” and “has the potential to have a disastrous effect on our sector”.48“ICMSA Submission to the Joint Committee on Climate Change,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, December 12, 2018. Archived February 27, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/kXdSw
The group was responding to Ireland’s April 2018 Citizens’ Assembly report on climate change, which strongly endorsed a tax on greenhouse gases emitted by farms and called for rewards for farm carbon sequestration. The report also recommended that farmland be used not only for rearing cattle for beef and dairy, for example for forests and organic farming.49“Third Report and Recommendations: Climate Change,” Citizens’ Assembly, 2018. Archived June 9, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/cwDnG
The claim that Ireland produces the “most efficient” dairy stems from a 2010 study conducted by the EU Joint Research Centre using data from 2004,50Adrian Leip et al. “Evaluation of the livestock sector’s contribution to the EU greenhouse gas emissions,” European Union Joint Research Centre, November 30, 2010. Archived March 29, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/Knofk whose assumptions about land use and carbon sequestration are now regarded as obsolete.51Sophie Kevany. “Where’s the beef? Outdated data leads to uncertainty on way forward,” The Irish Times, May 28, 2020. Archived May 28, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.is/nA5gN
Another peer-reviewed study conducted in 2010, which used the same data but adjusted the land use and carbon sequestration assumptions, found that Ireland’s dairy milk carbon footprint was substantially higher than the EU average and was the fourth worst overall – about 60 percent higher than Denmark’s, which was the most efficient.52J.P. Lesschen et al. “Greenhouse gas emission profiles of European livestock sectors,” Animal Feed Science and Technology, June 23, 2011. Archived April 23, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/QbMyF
November 2017
The ICMSA and other farming organisations strongly criticised a recommendation to extend carbon taxes to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. ICMSA then-President John Comer said that any such tax would be “completely illogical” with respect to increasing global food demand, and would have a severely negative impact on farms.53Sylvester Phelan. ‘“Hypocrisy”: Farming Groups Give Cutting Retort to Citizens’ Assembly Proposals’,” Agriland, November 6, 2017. Archived November 8, 2017. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ka5DZ
Agricultural economist Professor Alan Matthews made the recommendation in a presentation to the Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change. He said that “unless we seriously attempt to get that curve of agricultural emissions, not just flatlining, but moving down, we are not seriously talking about a position of climate leadership”.54“If Ireland Was a Leader in Tackling Climate Change – Agriculture/ Land Use Policy,” Youtube video uploaded by user The Citizens’ Assembly, November 4, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
Matthews told the Citizens’ Assembly that placing a tax on agricultural emissions, including methane and nitrous oxide, would be the most practical and fairest way to ensure that the sector would meet its targets, and it would ensure that farmers included the cost of emissions in deciding how much to produce in terms of crops, livestock or milk.55Alan Matthews.”‘If Ireland Was a Leader in Tackling Climate Change What Would Agriculture / Land Use Policy Look like in Ireland?,” The Citizens’ Assembly, November 4, 2017. Archived November 7, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Experts have proposed taxes on agriculture emissions56Daniel Murray. “Lack of carbon tax in agriculture is a ‘problem’,” Business Post, November 23, 2021. Archived October 12, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wBfdM and on nitrogen fertiliser57Stuart Meikle. “A Nitrogen Tax for Agriculture? | ARC2020,” Agricultural and Rural Convention, January 30, 2018. Archived November 6, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/gulIi as important potential regulatory policies to limit climate and pollution impacts from livestock agriculture.
According to a March 2024 paper, which surveyed more than 200 environmental and agricultural scientists, global emissions from meat and dairy production need to decline by 50 percent during the next six years, with “high-producing and consuming nations” taking the lead, to align with the goals of the Paris Agreement.58Fran McNulty. “The climate cost of Ireland’s dairy boom,” RTÉ, July 10, 2023. Archived July 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/FVeCv
Key Actions
July 2024
ICMSA’s then-President Denis Drennan falsely claimed that a year-on-year reduction in agricultural emissions had been achieved “in spite of – rather than because of – any meaningful Government support”.
Drennan made his comments in response to an EPA report showing a year-on-year reduction in agricultural emissions in 2023. However, EU and Irish policy do not include carbon taxes or production quota limits on agriculture.59Alan Matthews. “Introducing a tax on agricultural GHG emissions? The Danish case,” CAP Reform Blog, April 30, 2024. Archived May 20, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/m96Jc
Since 2012, Irish policy to reduce agricultural GHGs has primarily relied on farmers voluntarily adopting efficiency measures,60“Teagasc Climate Action Strategy 2022-2030,” Teagasc, November, 2022. Archived March 21, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/YzQwu but total emissions have risen instead of falling as required.
In addition to European farm payments, the 2024 Irish Government budget included “Over €700m for agri-environment initiatives (climate, biodiversity & water quality)” and continued tax breaks from excise and carbon taxes on farm diesel.61“2024 Budget Report,” Irish Farmers Association, October 10, 2023. Archived October 14, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8eWxm
Earlier in 2024, in contradiction of his later statement, Drennan said that a decline in milk production in 2023 was down to “a number of factors” including low milk prices, extremely difficult weather conditions and new nitrates restrictions established by the European Commission.62Ruud Peys. “Irish milk production is in sharp decline,” Dairy Global, January 30, 2024. Archived February 27, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/XIyXB
December 1, 2023
In a press release, then-ICMSA President Pat McCormack welcomed the decision of the European Parliament and Council to exclude cattle farms from new EU rules governing industrial farm emissions.63“ICMSA welcome EU exclusion of farming from ‘Industrial Installations’ for emissions purposes,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, December 1, 2023. Archived December 2, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/573cD
According to the post, McCormack said “it was vital that what he described as ‘the tide’ of anti-farmer and extreme environmentalism was challenged before that final decision was taken”.
The European Environmental Bureau, an environmental civil society organization, said the new directive “maintains protection for the polluting status quo”.64Maria Simon Arboleas. “Ciao” cows: Cattle excluded from EU’s industrial emissions cut plan,” Euractiv, November 30, 2023. Archived December 1, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/lTkfO
November 17, 2023
At an ICMSA annual general meeting, then-President Pat McCormack hit back at comments by then Green Party leader and environment minister, Eamon Ryan, about working “by consensus” to tackle climate change.
In response, McCormack said the Government was “enjoying hindering and obstructing farmers” producing milk, by supporting a cull of dairy cows to reduce carbon emissions.65David Raleigh. “Green Party leader Eamon Ryan says dairy farms ‘not the villains’ in climate crisis,” Breaking News, November 17, 2011. Archived November 17, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/g16PM
He added: “And when they (the Government) can’t be seen to be doing that themselves, they stand by cheerleading while others in their ‘pet’ NGOs do the dirty work for them”.
February 3, 2022
ICMSA then-President Pat McCormack pushed back on a possible cap on dairy farm production to meet national climate goals.
Speaking after a meeting with Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, McCormack said: “We’re the only sector that already has an emissions lowering plan that’s ‘up and going’. The Teagasc MACC curve and new technologies are already showing how agriculture can meet its climate commitments – and new technologies will accelerate that progress”.66Dan Dooner. “ICMSA cannot accept cap on dairy,” Roscommon People, February 3, 2022. Archived August 17, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/dQfjE
He added: “The Government is about to make a decision that will damage the single most important positive economic activity in most rural areas of Ireland”.
The so-called “Marginal Abatement Cost Curve” (MACC) approach by state agency Teagasc aims to rank the relative cost effectiveness of different measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture and land use sectors.67Barry McMullin and Paul Price. “Synthesis of Literature and Preliminary Modelling Relevant to Society-wide Scenarios for Effective Climate Change Mitigation in Ireland,” Environmental Protection Agency, November, 2020. Archived August 9, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
However, an EPA research report in 2020 noted that MACC analysis methods have been “strongly critiqued” in academic literature, and that these flaws are “often overlooked” in policy use. The report noted that dairy and beef farming was responsible for over 90 percent of Irish methane and nitrous oxide GHG emissions, and its overall expansion had driven the substantial rise in agricultural emissions since 2010.
2022 – Carbon Budgets and Sectoral Emissions Ceilings
The ICMSA lobbied to weaken targets contained in the July 2021 amended Climate Act, which stipulated that Ireland’s parliament (the Oireachtas) must set legally binding five-year carbon budgets to direct climate action. To meet these budgets, the Act required the Government to set out constituent five year “sectoral emission ceilings” for different economic sectors, including agriculture.68“Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (amendment) Act 2021 (as Approved),” Government of Ireland, 2021. Archived January 22, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/ScDtZ
“Sectoral emission ceilings” is a term for the maximum tonnes of CO2 equivalent gases (CO2e) that can be emitted over a five year period by agriculture and different sectors of the economy as laid out by the Irish Government’s legally binding carbon budgets.
The Government’s Climate Action Plan had initially suggested a range for agriculture emission reductions of 22 to 30 percent by 2030, in response to the amended Climate Act in November 2021.69Rachel Martin. “Government sets out plans for 22-30% reduction in farming emissions,” Irish Examiner, February 20, 2021. Archived November 4, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/UnQTy
Prior to the final decision, the ICMSA warned in a 21 July press release that even a 22 percent reduction would be “hugely challenging” for the agriculture sector – but that it could be “realistic and achievable if the Government puts in place appropriate supports which it has completely failed to do to date”.70“Demonisation of Agriculture Needs to Stop,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, July 21, 2022. Archived July 21, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/jLcbA
On July 28, 2022, the Government had announced it would be introducing a 25 percent reduction in agricultural total emissions by 2030 relative to 2018.71Rory Carroll. “Ireland targets 25% cut in agriculture emissions but farmers voice anger,” The Guardian, July 29, 2022. Archived July 29, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/51L42
In response, then-President Pat McCormack criticised in an ICSMA press release the “wholly negative and predictable economic, social and demographic consequences for the massive areas of the state that depended on farming and food production and represented a ‘sell-out’ of our family farm model”.72“ICMSA say increased ask on emissions from farmers moves ‘Difficult’ to ‘Impossible’ selling out family farms,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, July 28, 2022. Archived July 28, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/ZjKUs
McCormack continued: “Today’s decision will be presented as a win for the extreme environmental element in Government, it would transpire to be a PR stunt and pointless over-reach that would inflict incalculable harm to long-term ambitions for lower emissions and sustainability”.
By contrast, Marie Donnelly, Chair of Ireland’s Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) described the Government’s Sectoral Emission Ceilings decision as “problematic”.73Marie Donnelly. “CCAC Chair’s statement on sectoral emission targets,” Climate Change Advisory Council, July 20, 2022. Archived July 29, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/72tho
According to Donelly’s statement, the emissions ceilings also did not meet the requirements of the amended Climate Act, being insufficient to meet the carbon budgets to 2030 agreed by the Oireachtas, and excluding five-year emissions ceilings for the Land Use Sector.
2022 Food Vision Dairy Group report
In response to EPA reporting showing increasing negative climate and pollution impacts from livestock farming,74“The overall quality of Ireland’s environment is not what it should be, and the outlook is not optimistic unless we accelerate action,” Environmental Protection Agency, November 24, 2020. Archived October 17, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/zM3gg Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue established separate “Food Vision” stakeholder groups – for dairy, livestock, and arable (known as “tillage” in Ireland) – to consider how best to reduce the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient pollution.75Joe Mag Raollaigh. “A year in agriculture that couldn’t have been predicted,” RTÉ, December 28, 2022. Archived January 5, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/uoWHW
The Food Vision dairy group’s final report, published on October 25, stated that the ICMSA had not endorsed its proposals, which included a plan to reduce chemical nitrogen use in the dairy sector by 2025 and more by 2030, and a voluntary exit/reduction scheme to reduce dairy herd numbers.76“Report Of Food Vision Dairy Group On Measures To Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions From The Dairy Sector,” Government of Ireland, October 25, 2022. Archived March 15, 2023. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog
This report stated that the ICSMA would not support the report’s mitigation proposals “based on a number of concerns including, the impact of the proposed [reduction in] Nitrogen usage on farm incomes, and the absence of a clear commitment on financial support and compensation for income losses that will be suffered”.
Scientists have repeatedly pointed out the serious climate and air and water pollution costs of Ireland’s dairy boom, noting that fertiliser-driven grass-fed milk production is profitable but relatively inefficient, with high methane emissions and nitrogen losses per kilogram of milk.
Led by industry and policy, the growing Irish dairy sectorexpansion targeted the end of the EU milk quota limit in 2015, which had previously steadily reduced emissions and pollution up to its relaxation from 2010 onward.
2022 Food Vision Beef and Sheep Group report
The release of the Government’s 2021 Food Vision policy also led to the formation of a beef and sheep stakeholder group to assess options to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, which published a final report on November 30.77“Final Report on the Food Vision Beef & Sheep Group to Mitigate GHG emissions from the Beef Sector,” Government of Ireland, November 30, 2022. Archived March 15, 2023. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
This report stated that the ICMSA had not endorsed its proposals for voluntary herd reduction and had raised objections on plans to reduce the chemical nitrogen. Regarding other measures the ICSMA had called for “a significant increase in the level of funding to support farmers implementing the measures and in supporting the integration of dairy and beef systems”.
March 2022
Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), an environmental NGO, applied for a judicial review of the Government’s Food Vision 2030 agri-food strategy, saying it “undermines our international and national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.78Orla Dwyer. “Environmental Group Granted Leave to Challenge Government’s Agri-Food Strategy,” The Journal, March 1, 2022. Archived March 1, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sGnOu
Commenting on the NGO’s legal challenge, ICMSA President Pat McCormack said: “The kind of attitudes and latitude afforded unelected and unaccountable bodies like Friends of the Irish Environment was not helping win the support of farmers for Government policy and FIE would have to be told ‘bluntly’ that the national policy had now been decided”.79“ICMSA demand to know who’s setting the National Climate Strategy: Government or environmental quangos?,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, March 2, 2022. Archived March 2, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/anu3P
Notably, such commentary against environmental NGOs had been critiqued a few weeks previously by Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea, a senior European Commission governance official who said that “a particular concern for us is the increasingly aggressive stance being taken against environmental campaigners in Ireland”, citing “negative reporting of actions by Friends of the Irish Environment”.80Kevin O’Sullivan. “EU official castigates Government over environmental court costs,” The Irish Times, January 21, 2022. Archived January 21, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/hR8Sv
He added: “We believe radical change of behaviour is necessary, because it is highly unusual for an advanced society like Ireland to witness such conducts”.
May 2021
Jackie Cahill, a former President of the ICMSA and former Chair of the parliamentary agriculture committee, publicly supported planning permission for a new Glanbia cheese plant in Kilkenny, which was being subjected to a court challenge by the NGO An Taisce.81Brian Mahon. “TDs backing Kilkenny cheese factory hold shares in Glanbia,” The Times, May 14, 2021. Archived August 30, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/3W8vg
April 2019
The ICMSA supported the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) when it made an accusation that An Taisce — the National Trust of Ireland — had wrongly included dietary advice on eating less meat and dairy in an educational resource pack, stating: “This document must be withdrawn immediately”. Pat McCormack, ICMSA President, described it as “anti-dairy and anti-livestock”.82Sylvester Phelan. “An Taisce programme slammed for “anti-livestock ethos,” Agriland, April 4, 2019. Archived July 16, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/4gHnt
An Taisce did not withdraw the resource. A spokesperson described the farm group criticism as “hysterical”, noting that the online teacher resource did not include dietary recommendations but focused on educational material around climate change in line with best practice internationally.
The Minister for Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton, said the An Taisce information pack, produced by the publicly funded Green Schools initiative, was a positive resource “to stimulate a discussion in the classroom. It wasn’t something being recommended to be adopted. That is something to be encouraged, not to be censored”.83Sorcha Pollak and Brian Hutton. “IFA reaction to schools guide ‘hysterical’, says An Taisce,” The Irish Times. April 5, 2019. Archived April 6, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ICypu
2017-2018 – Citizens’ Assembly report
In April 2018, the Third Report and Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on climate change made two recommendations directly relevant to dairy and livestock production.84“Third Report and Recommendations: Climate Change,” The Citizens’ Assembly, April 18, 2018. Archived June 9, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/cwDnG
Following engagement with experts including agriculture specialists, the assembly’s randomly chosen Irish citizens endorsed a tax on greenhouse gases emitted by farms and “rewards for the farmer for land management that sequesters carbon”.
It also called on the Government to “review and revise supports for land use diversification with attention to support for planting forests and encouraging organic farming”.
In November 2017, ICMSA President John Comer described the Citizens’ Assembly’s vote, overwhelmingly in favour of a tax on greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, as “ludicrous”.85Darren Mahon. “ICMSA hits out at ‘ludicrous’ tax on greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture,” OceanFM, November 6, 2017. Archived February 27, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sXV9n
Alongside similar strong critiques by other farm organisations, Comer condemned such a tax as “completely illogical”, saying the “proposals should be rejected outright” as they conveniently ignored the “inconvenient truth” of increasing food demand to meet global population growth and Ireland being a climate-efficient food producer.86Sylvester Phelan. “Hypocrisy”: Farming groups give cutting retort to Citizens’ Assembly proposals,” Agriland, November 6, 2017. Archived November 8, 2017. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ka5DZ
Experts have proposed taxes on agriculture emissions87Daniel Murray. “Lack of carbon tax in agriculture is a ‘problem’,” Business Post, November 23, 2021. Archived October 12, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wBfdM and on nitrogen fertiliser88Stuart Meikle. “A Nitrogen Tax for Agriculture? | ARC2020,” Agricultural and Rural Convention, January 30, 2018. Archived November 6, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/gulIi as important potential regulatory policies to limit climate and pollution impacts from livestock agriculture.
According to a March 2024 paper, which surveyed more than 200 environmental and agricultural scientists, global emissions from meat and dairy production need to decline by 50 percent during the next six years, with “high-producing and consuming nations” taking the lead, to align with the goals of the Paris Agreement.89Fran McNulty. “The climate cost of Ireland’s dairy boom,” RTÉ, July 10, 2023. Archived July 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/FVeCv
2010 Climate Bill
The ICMSA strongly opposed90“Search: Return submit date: From 01 Jan 2015; Public Policy Area: Agriculture, Food, Environment,” Lobbying.ie, August 6, 2024. Archived August 6, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/XBCte the Irish Government’s 2010 Climate Change Response Bill, alongside other prominent agri-food industry lobby groups including the Irish Farmers’ Association and Ireland’s largest business group, Ibec, which includes dairy and meat processors.91Paul Wagner and Tuomas Ylä-Anttila. “Who got their way? Advocacy coalitions and the Irish climate change law,” Environmental Politics, April 3, 2018. Archived April 3, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/zaYC9
In January 2011, The Irish Examiner reported that the ICMSA and other farm groups had “written to TDs and senators asking them to oppose the bill on the basis that the proposed clampdown on carbon emissions goes beyond EU requirements, adding unnecessary costs that would hamper the export ambitions of the food sector”.92Joe Dermody. “High pressure in air as farm groups lobby against Climate Change Bill,” Irish Examiner, January 15, 2011. Archived April 20, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/yxttz
By February 2011, the bill had been dropped, following the agri-food group opposition, including the ICMSA, and given the economic and political crises underway at the time.93Tara Connolly. “A Climate Bill Post-Mortem,” ThinkOrSwim, February 11, 2011. Archived August 6, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/42R3L
Funding
The ICMSA is funded through membership dues. Milk processors agree to deduct 0.15 percent of the value of milk supplied each month and send this amount directly to the association.94“ICMSA Membership Form,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, 2024. Archived May 30, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/JJT00
Following the 2015 IFA salary controversy,95Jerome Reilly. “Arrogance and hubris behind IFA pay scandal,” Irish Independent, November 29, 2015. Archived March 5, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/Y4129 ICMSA then-President John Comer confirmed that he received an annual allowance of 50,000 euros, which he said went towards paying a farm manager while he was away on business.96Richard Halleron. “ICMSA President declares his salary in wake of IFA salaries controversy,” Agriland, December 1, 2015. Archived December 8, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.is/qUmiT
Lobbying
The ICMSA has stated that it “represents farmer interests on many committees and bodies” within Ireland, including Teagasc, Ornua, Bord Bia, the National Dairy Council, the Employment Appeals Tribunal, and the Monitoring Committees on Rural Development.97“About ICMSA,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association. Archived February 26, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/5yEj2
The ICMSA has been Ireland’s fourth most active lobbyist on agriculture, food, and the environment since records began in 2015.98“Search: Return submit date: From 01 Jan 2015; Public Policy Area: Agriculture, Food, Environment,” Lobbying.ie, August 6, 2024. Archived August 6, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/XBCte
The ICMSA spent €500,000 – €599,999 on lobbying in the EU in 2021 and in 2022, with the equivalent of 6.75 full-time lobbyists. ICMSA lobbyists have attended 12 high-level European Commission meetings since 2014.99“Datacard: Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association,” LobbyFacts.eu. Archived February 27, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/eBSTx
In March 2024, following the resignation of Taoiseach (prime minister) and Fine Gael party leader Leo Varadkar, ICMSA then-President Denis Drennan said he was “always available to meet the farm organisations” while in office.100Charles O’Donnell. “ICMSA hopes for “change of direction” with new Taoiseach,” Agriland, March 20, 2024. Archived March 20, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/5DqBY Drennan added: “We always had an annual meeting with him and he would have attended our AGM (annual general meeting) on numerous occasions”.
In February 2024, the ICMSA appeared before the Oireachtas (parliamentary) Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine to state strong concerns regarding the negative economic and social effects on dairy farmers if a potential further decrease to the allowed Nitrates Directive derogation level.101“ICMSA Opening Statement to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the Nitrates Regulations in Ireland,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, February 14, 2024. Archived January 17, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/H57Jt
Also in February 2024, a magazine-style insert entitled “The Climate Call” was distributed by the National Dairy Council (a farmer-funded body) in newspapers nationally.102“The Climate Call, 2024,” National Dairy Council Ireland, February, 2024. Archived February 29, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/0Bifh NDC members are milk processor co-operative limited companies, but the ICMSA President sits on its board.103“Our Board,” National Dairy Council Ireland, February 29, 2024. Archived August 7, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/HqFtr
According to research published in 2020 by Declan Fahy, an associate professor at Dublin City University’s School of Communications, Irish farmers and their representative organisations, including the Irish Farmers Association and ICMSA, have “wielded great political influence” on the agricultural policies of successive Governments through their lobbying efforts.104Declan Fahy. “Ecological Modernisation, Irish-Style: Explaining Ireland’s Slow Transition to Low-Carbon Society,” Ireland and the Climate Crisis, 2020. Palgrave Macmillan.
Affiliations
The ICMSA is a member of the European Milk Board (EMB), which it has described as “Europe’s fastest growing specialist dairy farmer umbrella organization”.105“Structure of the ICMSA,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, 2024. Archived December 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/rV3vD The EMB represents about 100,000 milk producers across 16 European countries, and lobbies to ensure that the “milk price [received by farmers] covers the average milk production costs”.106“About EMB,” European Milk Board, 2024. Archived April 6, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/BxrgW
There have been several attempts to merge the ICMSA and the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), which have reportedly failed due to “personal and organisational tensions”.107Darren Halpin (2005). Surviving global change? agricultural interest groups in comparative perspective, London, England and New York, USA. Routledge.
The ICMSA is a member of Animal Health Ireland (AHI) alongside several Irish government and state agencies, farm representative organizations, milk and meat processors, advisory support services, and artificial insemination companies. As per its 2021 annual report, AHI is a not-for-profit, public-private partnership between private-sector organizations and businesses in the agri-food sector.108“Annual Report 2021,” Animal Health Ireland, 2022. Archived May 30, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/fO40O
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- 5John Gibbons. “Denial and self-interested delusion on Climate Bill,” ThinkOrSwim Blog. Archived June 30, 2016. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/DkhSn
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- 7“ICMSA say ‘drill-down’ into EPA Report shows progress made,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, October 30, 2019. Archived August 11, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/bA8aM
- 8“Agriculture_2022_WEM-EPA-Ireland-2024.xlsx,” [GHG Inventory, Excel spreadsheet] Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland. August 2024. Archived February 27, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/0q4gK
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- 11“Retaining Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation Common Objectives: A Joint Declaration from Farm Organisations, Co-operatives and the Dairy and Meat Processors,” Irish Farmers Association, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, Dairy Industry Ireland, Meat Industry Ireland, Macra, September, 2024. Archived September 18, 2024. Archive URL https://archive.ph/njG9v
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- 20“Environment,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association. Archived February 1, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/7VOqv
- 21“Common Agricultural Policy and climate: Half of EU climate spending but farm emissions are not decreasing,” European Court of Auditors, June, 2021. Archived June 21, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/YihLR
- 22IPCC. “Climate Change 2013 The Physical Science Basis,” Working Group I contribution to the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment, 2013. Archived December 26, 2018. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/f1UHQ
- 23Paul Price. “Agricultural Methane in Irish Climate Action: greenhouse gas metrics, methane mitigation, and related quantification of livestock numbers,” An Taisce, June, 2024. Archived 18 June, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/gYDaQ
- 24Joe Fassler. “Research Undermines Claims that Soil Carbon Can Offset Livestock Emissions,” DeSmog, February 1, 2024.
- 25“Media Ownership Monitor Ireland, 2023,” Gript, 2023. Archived June 21, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/6bKph
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- 27Kayle Crosson. “EPA: significant “step change” needed for Irish agriculture,” Green News Ireland, June 29, 2021. Archived June 29, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ltjLr
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- 29“Retaining Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation – Common Objectives: A Joint Declaration from Farm Organisations, Co-operatives and the Dairy and Meat Processors,” Irish Farmers Association, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, Dairy Industry Ireland, Meat Industry Ireland, and Macra, September 2024. Archived September 23, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 30“Update on pressures impacting on water quality,” Environmental Protection Agency Ireland, May 2024. Archived June 17, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8MwkA
- 31“Climate Action Plan,” Government of Ireland, January 8, 2024. Archived May 2, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/zsGaB
- 32Angela Symons and Thomas Blade. “Irish farmers could be forced to kill livestock to meet climate targets, say industry experts,” Euronews, August 31, 2022. Archived August 31, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/nPYqp
- 33“CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 2021 Annex of Actions,” Government of Ireland, 2021. Archived December 22, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 34David Wall. “Challenges and opportunities for environmentally sustainable nutrient use, in: Fertiliser Association of Ireland Proceedings 2019,” Fertiliser Association of Ireland, February, 2019. Archived September 27, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/IVVRC
- 35Angela Symons and Thomas Blade. “Irish farmers could be forced to kill livestock to meet climate targets, say industry experts,” Euronews, August 31, 2022. Archived August 31, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/nPYqp
- 36“Nitrates: Protecting waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources,” European Commission, 2024. Archived July 6, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/ejdti
- 37“In full: the KPMG economic impact report on cutting emissions on farming,” Irish Farmers Journal, October 28, 2021. Archived April 13, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/buS1n
- 38Lisa O’Carroll. “Ireland would need to cull up to 1.3 million cattle to reach climate targets,” The Guardian, November 3, 2021. Archived March 19, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/yl099
- 39Pat O’Toole. “Farm Leaders Have Their Say on the CCAC and KPMG Reports,” Irish Farmers Journal, November 3, 2021. Archived March 21, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/CAtcs
- 40“In full: the KPMG economic impact report on cutting emissions on farming,” Irish Farmers Journal, October 28, 2021. Archived April 13, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/buS1n
- 41Caitríona Morrissey. “‘Mature discussion’ needed on dairy herd expansion – McConalogue,” Irish Farmers Journal, January 28, 2021. Archived March 3, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/nXidv
- 42Caitríona Morrissey. “Carbon efficiency of Irish milk must be accounted for – ICMSA,” Irish Farmers Journal, February 3, 2021. Archived February 28, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/ELMpI
- 43Michael A. Clark et al. “Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5° and 2°C climate change targets,” Science, November 6, 2020. Archived on March 28, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/qPFzo
- 44Adrian Leip et al. “Evaluation of the livestock sector’s contribution to the EU greenhouse gas emissions,” European Union Joint Research Centre, November 30, 2010. Archived March 29, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/Knofk
- 45Sophie Kevany. “Where’s the beef? Outdated data leads to uncertainty on way forward,” The Irish Times, May 28, 2020. Archived May 28, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.is/nA5gN
- 46“Submission to the Department of An Taoiseach on the Draft National Risk Assessment 2019,” ICMSA, June, 2019. Archived October 15, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 47Paul Price. “Agricultural Methane in Irish Climate Action: greenhouse gas metrics, methane mitigation, and related quantification of livestock numbers,” An Taisce, June, 2024. Archived 18 June, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/gYDaQ
- 48“ICMSA Submission to the Joint Committee on Climate Change,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, December 12, 2018. Archived February 27, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/kXdSw
- 49“Third Report and Recommendations: Climate Change,” Citizens’ Assembly, 2018. Archived June 9, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/cwDnG
- 50Adrian Leip et al. “Evaluation of the livestock sector’s contribution to the EU greenhouse gas emissions,” European Union Joint Research Centre, November 30, 2010. Archived March 29, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/Knofk
- 51Sophie Kevany. “Where’s the beef? Outdated data leads to uncertainty on way forward,” The Irish Times, May 28, 2020. Archived May 28, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.is/nA5gN
- 52J.P. Lesschen et al. “Greenhouse gas emission profiles of European livestock sectors,” Animal Feed Science and Technology, June 23, 2011. Archived April 23, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/QbMyF
- 53Sylvester Phelan. ‘“Hypocrisy”: Farming Groups Give Cutting Retort to Citizens’ Assembly Proposals’,” Agriland, November 6, 2017. Archived November 8, 2017. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ka5DZ
- 54“If Ireland Was a Leader in Tackling Climate Change – Agriculture/ Land Use Policy,” Youtube video uploaded by user The Citizens’ Assembly, November 4, 2017. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
- 55Alan Matthews.”‘If Ireland Was a Leader in Tackling Climate Change What Would Agriculture / Land Use Policy Look like in Ireland?,” The Citizens’ Assembly, November 4, 2017. Archived November 7, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 56Daniel Murray. “Lack of carbon tax in agriculture is a ‘problem’,” Business Post, November 23, 2021. Archived October 12, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wBfdM
- 57Stuart Meikle. “A Nitrogen Tax for Agriculture? | ARC2020,” Agricultural and Rural Convention, January 30, 2018. Archived November 6, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/gulIi
- 58Fran McNulty. “The climate cost of Ireland’s dairy boom,” RTÉ, July 10, 2023. Archived July 10, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/FVeCv
- 59Alan Matthews. “Introducing a tax on agricultural GHG emissions? The Danish case,” CAP Reform Blog, April 30, 2024. Archived May 20, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/m96Jc
- 60“Teagasc Climate Action Strategy 2022-2030,” Teagasc, November, 2022. Archived March 21, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/YzQwu
- 61“2024 Budget Report,” Irish Farmers Association, October 10, 2023. Archived October 14, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8eWxm
- 62Ruud Peys. “Irish milk production is in sharp decline,” Dairy Global, January 30, 2024. Archived February 27, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/XIyXB
- 63“ICMSA welcome EU exclusion of farming from ‘Industrial Installations’ for emissions purposes,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, December 1, 2023. Archived December 2, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/573cD
- 64Maria Simon Arboleas. “Ciao” cows: Cattle excluded from EU’s industrial emissions cut plan,” Euractiv, November 30, 2023. Archived December 1, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/lTkfO
- 65David Raleigh. “Green Party leader Eamon Ryan says dairy farms ‘not the villains’ in climate crisis,” Breaking News, November 17, 2011. Archived November 17, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/g16PM
- 66Dan Dooner. “ICMSA cannot accept cap on dairy,” Roscommon People, February 3, 2022. Archived August 17, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/dQfjE
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- 71Rory Carroll. “Ireland targets 25% cut in agriculture emissions but farmers voice anger,” The Guardian, July 29, 2022. Archived July 29, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/51L42
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- 73Marie Donnelly. “CCAC Chair’s statement on sectoral emission targets,” Climate Change Advisory Council, July 20, 2022. Archived July 29, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.is/72tho
- 74“The overall quality of Ireland’s environment is not what it should be, and the outlook is not optimistic unless we accelerate action,” Environmental Protection Agency, November 24, 2020. Archived October 17, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/zM3gg
- 75Joe Mag Raollaigh. “A year in agriculture that couldn’t have been predicted,” RTÉ, December 28, 2022. Archived January 5, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/uoWHW
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- 77“Final Report on the Food Vision Beef & Sheep Group to Mitigate GHG emissions from the Beef Sector,” Government of Ireland, November 30, 2022. Archived March 15, 2023. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 78Orla Dwyer. “Environmental Group Granted Leave to Challenge Government’s Agri-Food Strategy,” The Journal, March 1, 2022. Archived March 1, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sGnOu
- 79“ICMSA demand to know who’s setting the National Climate Strategy: Government or environmental quangos?,” Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, March 2, 2022. Archived March 2, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/anu3P
- 80Kevin O’Sullivan. “EU official castigates Government over environmental court costs,” The Irish Times, January 21, 2022. Archived January 21, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/hR8Sv
- 81Brian Mahon. “TDs backing Kilkenny cheese factory hold shares in Glanbia,” The Times, May 14, 2021. Archived August 30, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/3W8vg
- 82Sylvester Phelan. “An Taisce programme slammed for “anti-livestock ethos,” Agriland, April 4, 2019. Archived July 16, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.is/4gHnt
- 83Sorcha Pollak and Brian Hutton. “IFA reaction to schools guide ‘hysterical’, says An Taisce,” The Irish Times. April 5, 2019. Archived April 6, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ICypu
- 84“Third Report and Recommendations: Climate Change,” The Citizens’ Assembly, April 18, 2018. Archived June 9, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/cwDnG
- 85Darren Mahon. “ICMSA hits out at ‘ludicrous’ tax on greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture,” OceanFM, November 6, 2017. Archived February 27, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sXV9n
- 86Sylvester Phelan. “Hypocrisy”: Farming groups give cutting retort to Citizens’ Assembly proposals,” Agriland, November 6, 2017. Archived November 8, 2017. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ka5DZ
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