Transformative Changes in Farming and Land Use Needed

New research from University of Galway shows that transformative changes in farming and land use could mitigate huge risks facing Ireland’s farmers and taxpayers over the coming decades.

The findings underline how current farming practices and land use patterns leave Ireland vulnerable to inevitable global shocks, including climate change impacts and trade disruptions. By making greater use of farm and food by-products, alongside ambitious climate action, circular farming could diversify revenue streams and reduce risk.  

The research has been published in two new scientific articles in Nature portfolio journals.

The first study published in npj – Sustainable Agriculture applies alternative solutions to evaluate land use strategies developed as part of Ireland’s Land Use Review Phase 2, a government‑led assessment that examines how Ireland’s land can best meet climate, biodiversity, food production and rural livelihood goals out to 2050.

The second study published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment explored a range of future farming and land use alternatives that achieved climate neutrality by 2050 and embedded high levels of circularity – recycling biological resources to supply animal feed and bioenergy generation.

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