The Explainer x Noteworthy: What is the issue with farm subsidies and nature?

MUCH LIKE THE rest of our European neighbours, Ireland is facing the twin crises of climate change and the decline of the natural world. 

Unlike most other EU countries, however, our agricultural sector accounts for the largest chunk of our carbon emissions – almost 35% of all annual emissions – and our farms also have a significant impact on our water, air and soil quality, as well as various species. 

Despite the hope that supports through the EU’s farm subsidy model would act as a powerful tool to address the biodiversity and climate crises, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has instead been blamed for pushing farmers into a more intensified farming system where nature and climate play second fiddle to food production. 

This week, as a bonus episode of The Explainer brought to you by our investigative platform Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with journalist Ella McSweeney and reporter Niall Sargent about their recent CASH COW investigation to piece together the roadblocks stopping farmers from creating more nature and climate-friendly farms. 

RELATED READS

• Land grab: How agri-subsidies encourage farmers to cut back on nature
• A win for farming, a win for nature: scheming for sustainability

This episode was put together by Susan Daly, Niall Sargent and producer Laura Byrne.