Noteworthy

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AGAINST THE GRAIN: How reliant are Irish livestock farms on imported feed?

Ireland

Despite our pasture-based grass fed livestock system, Ireland still faces a problem feeding its farmed animals. Millions of tonnes of feed is imported every year for cattle, while the demand from poultry and pig farms - with large indoor shed units - is on the rise.

11 Backers raised €370 of €1740

Completed

OVER THE HILL: Can overgrazing on Ireland’s vulnerable habitats be stopped?

Ireland

Intensive grazing and overgrazing is impacting almost 40% of all EU protected habitats in Ireland and is by far the most prevalent agricultural pressure in these areas.

32 Backers raised €1660 of €1660

Open

MISSING INGREDIENT: Are food companies misleading the consumer over origin of certain food products?

Ireland

Concerns have been raised in recent years that customers can’t easily identify the true origins of products that fill our supermarket shelves - from fruit and veg to tinned goods and pre-packed food.

3 Backers raised €50 of €3360

Open

UP MANURE CREEK: Why is traditional slurry spreading happening when it’s bad for human health?

Ireland

Slurry is one of the most popular fertilisers on farms as the manure and water mix offers a cheap boost of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to boost grass and crop growth.

18 Backers raised €570 of €2310

Open

DEBT OF DAIRY: Is State agri-expansion policy driving up debt in the dairy sector?

Ireland

On the face of it, the dairy sector is doing well; it has seen a resurgence in production and profit since the end of the milk quota in 2015.

5 Backers raised €225 of €2320

Open

FUELLED BY NATURE: Will the rise in bioenergy have a negative impact on our climate ambitions?

Ireland

Bioenergy - from woody biomass, energy crops like willow, grasslands and farm waste - is already the main source of renewable energy in the EU. In Ireland, however, it currently makes up less than 5% of Ireland’s energy profile.

8 Backers raised €230 of €2475

Completed

TRADE OFF: Are we turning a blind eye to animal welfare concerns in the live export trade?

Ireland

The live export trade has grown substantially in recent years as incomes dwindle in the domestic market, with the Minister for Agriculture recently calling the trade “a critical part of Ireland’s livestock industry”.

50 Backers raised €2100 of €2100

Completed

FACTORY FARM: Are we prioritising profits over animal welfare and human health?

Ireland

The traditional image of the small Irish family farm is slowly slipping away with many farms growing more industrialised in response to ambitious production targets set by the State.

87 Backers raised €2730 of €2720

Completed

CASH COW: Are subsidies encouraging unsustainable farming practices?

Ireland

The farm has a big role to play in the fight against climate change, yet experts argue that it is difficult to shift to a nature-friendly model while subsidies favour intensive production.

48 Backers raised €1150 of €1150

Completed

REAPING THE HARVEST: Have years of neglect left horticulture at a pandemic-provoked tipping point?

Ireland

In March, at the height of the coronavirus crisis, the European Commission issued guidelines that seasonal agricultural workers be treated as frontline workers in order to save fruit and veg harvests.

25 Backers raised €1700 of €1700

Completed

SPRUCED UP: Are coniferous trees killing our native ecosystem?

Ireland

A Government plan to plant almost 400 million trees by 2046 was announced as part of the Climate Action Plan in the past few months. There is a target of 70% conifers and 30% broadleaf for these new plantations which has led to some biodiversity advocates being concerned about the continued afforestation of Ireland by non-native conifers.

54 Backers raised €1950 of €1950