Signpost Programme Steering Group Meet
The first meeting of the Signpost Programme Steering Group took place today, Wednesday 28 July, in Teagasc Oak Park. The Signpost Programme is a collaborative programme to lead climate action by Irish farmers and their transition towards more sustainable farming systems. The programme involves 100 Signpost Farmers and almost 50 companies and organisations.
Signpost Programme Steering Group Meet
The membership of the steering group is drawn from the Signpost partners and includes representatives from the milk and meat processing sectors, the tillage industry, the farm organisations, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Bord Bia and the Environmental Protection Agency. The group membership is completed by two independent members and two Signpost Farmers. The group is chaired by dairy farmer, and former Macra na Feirme President, Thomas Duffy. At today’s meeting, an overview of the programme was presented by Dr Tom O Dwyer, Head of the Teagasc Signpost programme.
Speaking at the meeting, Teagasc Director Professor Gerry Boyle highlighted the role that all farmers, and all sectors of Irish agriculture, have to play in meeting the sustainability challenge. He welcomed the members of the steering group and expressed the hope that the Signpost Programme could foster a climate of innovation throughout Irish agriculture as “we really need to harness the innovation of the sector given the scale of the challenge”. He also reminded the members of the urgency for action, especially in light of the forthcoming first carbon budget for the 2021 to 2025 period, as required under the recently published Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill.
The Signpost Programme
The Signpost Programme is a Teagasc-led partnership of farmers and up to 50 companies and organisations from across the Irish agriculture sector to lead climate action by all Irish farmers. The programmes aims to achieve early progress in reducing gaseous emissions from Irish agriculture, while also improving water quality, enhancing bio-diversity, improving farm incomes and creating more sustainable farming enterprises. It will also act as a test bed for on-farm carbon sequestration measurements.
To learn more about the programme and to meet the signposts farmers and signpost partner organisations visit https://www.teagasc.ie/environment/climate-change--air-quality/signpost-programme/