Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2025
624. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the analysis his Department conducted on carbon sequestration qualities of the States hedgerows and how they may be used as mitigation against agriculture emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36092/25]
View answerHedgerows can make a significant contribution to carbon sequestration, in addition to the biodiversity and water quality benefits they provide, which supports the continued viability and sustainability of the agrifood sector.
My Department has introduced several initiatives investigating the carbon sequestration qualities of hedgerows in Ireland. Teagasc, in conjunction with FERS Ltd completed research to help improve the national estimation of hedgerow carbon sequestration in an EPA-funded FarmCarbon project. This research found that increasing hedge width and height can substantially increase both above and below ground Carbon sequestration, whilst also providing increased biodiversity.
Within the Teagasc Signpost farms program the soil organic carbon baseline levels have been assessed across over a 100 Signpost Farms, with these soils being resampled regularly. Teagasc research, using projects such as the National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory (NASCO) and the Signpost Farms, aims to improve the measurement of carbon sequestration and focuses on improving estimation of carbon sequestration in hedgerows and on farm woodland. This research will be incorporated into the Teagasc MACC and the on farm AgNav tool that supports climate action by farmers in favour of climate change mitigation.
We now have mechanisms that allow use to quantify carbon stock changes in hedgerows associated with the management regime which is relevant for supporting best management practices in favour of climate action.
However, for hedgerows to contribute to national mitigation and climate targets, it is imperative that we protect and appropriately maintain existing hedgerows and plant new hedgerows where possible. To this end, My Department has implemented a number of measures to protect and enhance the network of hedgerows and landscape features on agricultural land under the CAP Strategic Plan and other areas.
