Farm Zero C: How an Irish Farm Is Cutting Emissions While Protecting Rural Livelihoods

Farm Zero C: A practical path to cleaner farming in Ireland

On a windswept farm near Bandon, County Cork, high-tech collars monitor cattle health while solar panels gleam on the milking parlour roof — tangible signs of how Ireland’s famed green pastures are being adapted to reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint.

Farm Zero C, a collaboration between the Carbery dairy cooperative and bioeconomy researchers at BiOrbic, combines technology, targeted grazing and nature-based measures to cut emissions without dismantling viable farms. The project milks 250 cows on a site about 280 kilometres southwest of Dublin and has recorded a 27% reduction in emissions since 2021.

Practical measures that deliver

The farm uses:

• High-tech collars to monitor animal health and productivity;
• Legume plantings such as clover to fix nitrogen and reduce synthetic fertiliser use;
• Restored hedgerows and scrub to support pollinators and wildlife;
• Renewable energy (the milking shed runs on roughly 80% solar and wind power);
• Careful grazing management, soil carbon measurement, and trials of feed additives and herd genetics to cut methane emissions.

Despite progress, methane remains the dominant challenge. According to project manager Padraig Walsh, methane accounts for roughly three-quarters of this farm’s carbon footprint. The team is researching feed additives, natural diet supplements and genetic strategies to reduce enteric methane.

National context and tensions

Agriculture produces about 40% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions — well above the EU average — largely because of a cattle herd of roughly seven million animals. The dairy and beef sectors now emit more than Ireland’s transport and energy sectors combined.

With EU 2030 targets requiring a 40% emissions cut versus 2005 levels and the risk of significant penalties if targets are missed, Irish policymakers face intense pressure to find solutions that balance climate goals with rural livelihoods.

“We are trying to create an economically viable climate-neutral system,” said Padraig Walsh. “Farmers feel a bit villainised but have already done a lot to try to reduce emissions at their own cost. They need more help.”

Debate on solutions

Views differ on the scale of change needed. Author John Gibbons and others argue that technology alone will not be enough — significant emissions reductions will likely require smaller herd sizes, a societal shift toward more plant-based diets, and greater diversification into horticulture, organics and tillage.

Researchers such as Peter Thorne of Maynooth University emphasize that farmers are often on the “climate front line” and need government support and market incentives to adopt new practices or diversify. Practical, locally tested examples like Farm Zero C can help show that change can be compatible with farm incomes.

What’s next

Farm Zero C demonstrates that bundled measures — combining technology, renewables and nature-based practices — can deliver measurable emissions reductions at the farm level. Scaling those gains across Ireland will require policy support, investment, research into methane-reduction technologies, and market solutions that reward lower-emission production without hollowing out rural communities.

Reporting credits: AFP; quotes from local project managers, farmers and researchers.