The fallout of COVID-19 is unlikely to result in the environmental and sustainability objectives for agriculture being diminished in the long term according to a senior Department of Agriculture inspector.

During a webinar held by the Agricultural Science Association (ASA) head of the Department’s environment policy wing Bill Callanan said keeping supply chains moving was the first priority. However, the EU’s ambition to become the first climate neutral economy was not going to change.

He did not see that being altered as a consequence of the pandemic.

Food hierarchy

“If I look at food, there's a hierarchy here. Number one is the availability of food. If you're in a country where food is unavailable that's the first threshold that people look to.

“The next level then is, is it safe? And that's a critical thing for the consumer. Our food production systems, are they safe? Is it healthy for us to eat?

Agricultural can be as a big a part of the solution

“And the final one then is the sustainability of it. The regulatory pressures that will arise in the longer term in terms of agriculture, and we've been clear that agricultural can be as a big a part of the solution as it is the challenge here, that's not going to diminished.”

Callanan stressed agriculture could play a major role on a multiple of fronts including a reducing of its emissions, the capture of carbon and the generation of green energy.

Methane

On methane, Callanan said he recognised that it needed to be treated differently to carbon dioxide based on the shorter lifespan it has in the atmosphere. However, he added that did not take away from the need to reduce methane emissions.

For farmers however, the concern is around the cost of tackling emissions as market returns remain low and the CAP budget is continually reduced.

Callanan stressed that CAP objectives were broad and while there was a clear direction in support for with 40% of the next budget earmarked for environmental action, viable farm incomes and food security remained priorities.

Along with the regulator direction, the market was also demanding food produced in a sustainably manner, he said.