I'd like this to be brought before the Dáil Éireann. The matter concerns stopping the Irish government's proposal to cull 200,000 cows to combat climate change and meet their climate deadlines of reducing agriculture emissions by 25% by 2030. On the surface this sounds like a reasonable idea, but please stay with me, we'll dig a little deeper and I'll explain why it isn't and what we could do instead.

Agriculture

Climate activists love to target the beef industry as a leading cause of climate change, yet, they don't report on the negative factors of adopting a meat free diet(as unfortunately this is the direction a lot of people would like us to be headed in) and these are many and great. From desertification to monoculture crops, required to feed to the world with 'adequate nutrition' and not with 'healthy' vegan alternatives, made from soy and other heavily produced 'food.' Nothing comes close to the complete nutritional profile of beef. Irish beef is some of the best in the world. There is no conclusive evidence to suggest that beef is bad for you. The majority of nutritional research tends to be observational studies and relies on the individual to report their eating habits. Who can remember what they had for lunch a month ago? 

Consequences

If the government decides to go ahead with this plan it will achieve nothing positive in the long run. Many farmers will go bankrupt or cease to operate as a cattle farmer due to the unfeasible nature of the industry. This will ultimately lead to a big increase in the price of red meat and dairy for the consumer. For the plan to go into affect it will also cost the tax payer each year. Ireland exports 90% of it's famous dairy products, bringing in 6.8 billion Euro in 2022. Culling our cows also encourages the global shift towards a meat free society, which I think is inherently a bad idea in the long run. Largely for nutritional reasons, but also bio-diversity. (Cow dung fertlises fields and hosts many species of insects) Once it is done sustainably. More on that later.

Alternative Solutions

I propose a number of alternative solutions to the reported agricultural issue of climate change. Instead of reducing the cow population, find and promote new methods of farming. Over the next few years the emphasis should be on sustainable farming practices, not the mass culling of a couple hundred thousand cows. The budget should be used in bringing farmers up to speed in modern sustainable farming practices and financially assisting them with this process. This maintains current employment levels, stops a generation of famers from having to learn a new career and potentially generates more roles in agricultural education. As well as maintaining our agricultural output, which financially benefits the government and consumers alike through exports and store prices remaining steady. 

Some solutions that show promise are types of feed that inhibit or reduce methane production in cows. One that shows particular promise is 3 NOP (3-Nitrooxypropanol) This is added to the feed and would increase the yearly up keep of a single cow by about €110. This can reduce cow emissions by between 11% to 15%. Another one by the name of Bovaer could reduce emissions by 30-40%, however it costs more than 3 NOP per head of cattle. Despite this, if beef and dairy products went up by 2-5 cents in the shop and this went directly to farmers, then the costs could be mitigated. 

 

Conclusion

I don't believe cow culling is the answer to our problem of climate change and I think there are wiser and more sustainable approaches that include everyone at their core and move forward with respect for the cows and the farmers and families that raised them.

 

Articles

https://bigthink.com/health/red-meat-cancer-not-health-risk/​

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/30/cow-methane-emissions-reduce-seaweed-kowbucha​

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/29/irish-farmers-cull-cows-meet-climate-targets