AgClimatise – Climate Neutral Agriculture

The following is an extract from this document, specifically the chapters Animal Breeding and Animal Health   

Animal Breeding

Animal Breeding has been identified as a concrete action that will not only reduce the environmental footprint on farm but will also increase farm profitability. Dairy farmers will be familiar with the Dairy Economic Breeding Index (EBI). Research has proven that higher EBI cows improve several traits of economic importance. Crucially, these higher EBI cows also improve the carbon footprint of finished products. There is a real opportunity to build on the progress made to date by accelerating action in this area. With all stakeholders in the supply chain working together, significant improvements can be made over the next decade, and this is the focus of Action 3.  

Similarly, on the beef side, breeding can make a huge contribution to more carbon efficient animals. The ICBF beef Eurostar index, supported by schemes from the Department such as the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) and the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP), have underpinned these improvements. In an ever more competitive international marketplace, the consumer is demanding higher quality beef products, produced in an environmentally friendly way. Ireland must occupy this space into the future. One of the biggest contributions beef farmers can make on the ground is to finish their animals earlier. While breeding will make a contribution here, management practices will also be key in this regard.  

National genotyping will have the added advantage of further improving our traceability credentials which are an essential element of maintaining exports and also meeting growing consumer demand for farm to fork information.  

Action 3: Genotype the entire national herd by 2030 to underpin the development of enhanced dairy and beef breeding programs that help achieve a reduction in our overall GHG output at a national level  

• In terms of achieving the overall genotyping objective, commence with all calves in priority categories of herds in 2021, e.g. herds in the Beef Data and Genomics (BDGP) programme. While this overall objective is ambitious, it is the single most important measure the industry can do to improve animal breeding on Irish farms and further enhance traceability.  
• Farmers should plan and transition away from the use of stock bulls for replacements in dairy herds by 2025. This will accelerate progress in the national EBI.  
• Explore opportunities to better integrate the dairy and beef sectors, focusing particularly on dairy calf to beef systems.  
• Increase the number of dairy herds in milk recording from the current level of 50% to 90% and suckler beef herds in beef weight recording from the current level of 30% to 70%.  
• Achieve targeted improvements in key metrics relating to age at slaughter and age at first calving for our national dairy and beef herds.  

Animal Health

Improvements in the herd health status of the national Irish dairy and beef herd leads to increased productivity and ultimately reduced emissions per unit of product. Animal breeding can make significant contributions to the development of more healthy animals. There is an onus on the entire sector to work collectively to make targeted improvements over the coming decade. This will not only reduce the carbon footprint of Irish farms, but it will also increase farm profitability. Much like nutrient use efficiency, it is a win-win for the farmer and the environment. The development of antimicrobial resistance is a concern in veterinary, as well as human medicine, and to protect the efficacy of such products into the future, the EU Farm to Fork strategy requires a reduction in the use of antimicrobials over the coming decade.  

Action 5: Further enhance animal health strategies to support climate ambitions and environmental sustainability through promotion of sustainable animal health and welfare practices and enhancing food safety and authenticity  

• Completion of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) eradication by 2023.  
• Significantly reduce the prevalence of Bovine Tuberculosis in the national herd.  
• Increase the level of participation in the Irish Johne’s Control Programme (IJCP) by expanding this beyond dairy herds.  
• Develop a programme to reduce prevalence levels of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR).  
• Targeted improvements in national somatic cell count over the next decade.  
• Continue to improve the welfare of the Irish herd, with particular emphasis on lameness in dairy herds.  
• Develop breeding programmes to take account of liver fluke, antimicrobial resistance, anthelmintic resistance, Johne’s disease, and IBR heritability, with a firm focus on animal welfare at all times, are required. This needs to be done with adaptation to a changing climate in firm focus (Linked to Action 3).  
• Significantly reduce the prevalence of Bovine Tuberculosis in the national herd.  
• Increase the level of participation in the Irish Johne’s Control Programme (IJCP) by expanding this beyond dairy herds.  
• Develop a programme to reduce prevalence levels of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR).  
• Targeted improvements in national somatic cell count over the next decade.  
• Continue to improve the welfare of the Irish herd, with particular emphasis on lameness in dairy herds.  
• Develop breeding programmes to take account of liver fluke, antimicrobial resistance, anthelmintic resistance, Johne’s disease, and IBR heritability, with a firm focus on animal welfare at all times, are required. This needs to be done with adaptation to a changing climate in firm focus (Linked to Action 3). 

(Published in the IHFA Spring Journal 2021)