LIFE BEEF CARBON is a voluntary European initiative that aims to curb the impact of beef farming on the climate by promoting innovative livestock farming systems and associated practices to ensure the technical, economic, environmental and social sustainability of beef farms in France, Ireland, Italy and Spain.
Teagasc is a major partner in LIFE BEEF CARBON and is leading efforts to develop climate friendly beef production systems in Ireland, with support from Bord Bia.
The LIFE BEEF CARBON project aims to cut beef’s carbon footprint at low cost with minimal impact on soil health, water quality, air quality and biodiversity. Beef production is affected by and contributes to climate change. A demonstrative farm observatory of LIFE BEEF CARBON was founded in 2016 and is one of the largest multinational networks combating carbon emissions from bovine production. The network covers Europe’s diverse systems of cattle farming, across a range of climatic conditions. The unique observatory includes temperate grass-based beef production systems from Ireland and the northwest of France i.e. Bretagne, Normandy and Pays de la Loire.
A hundred and twenty Irish cattle farms, spread throughout the country, are voluntarily participating in this important climate initiative. All of the Irish beef producers in the LIFE BEEF CARBON observatory are members of the Irish Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) run by Teagasc. Some of the technical data the NFS collects for BEEF CARBON includes, land areas, livestock inventories, cattle sales and purchases, turnout and housing dates, feeding plans, chemical fertilizer application rates, diesel and electricity consumption, housing type(s), manure storage facilities and methods of manure application.
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