The New Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards were launched on 9 January by Teagasc, with generous support from FBD.
The Teagasc/FBD Environmental Sustainability Awards aim to promote environmentally sustainable farming and highlight the progress that farmers are making to reduce their impact on the environment, while continuing to produce high-quality, nutritious food in a profitable manner, to feed a growing global population.
Farmers Who Are Doing A Great Job
Producing food in an environmentally sustainable fashion is perhaps the biggest challenge currently facing Irish farmers.
According to Teagasc, while there is much coverage of the environmental challenges faced by Irish farmers, we hear less about those who are doing a great job in an environmentally friendly manner, or about the positive stories of farmers taking steps to reduce their farms’ environmental footprint while continuing to produce high-quality, nutritious food.
Encouraging farmers to feel that they can play their part in meeting the environmental challenges is an important step on the journey to a more sustainable future.
Teagasc and FBD hope that these awards can help farmers, consumers, and Irish citizens to be proud of the great work undertaken by Irish farmers.
Speaking at the launch, Professor Frank O’Mara, director of Teagasc, highlighted that the awards will recognise farmers who are operating sustainable, profitable farming systems, while incorporating the latest scientific developments and technologies on their farms, thereby reducing their greenhouse gases and ammonia emissions, improving water quality, enhancing biodiversity, and improving soil health and carbon.
‘Recognising The Best’
“The Environmental Sustainability Awards will recognise the best,” according to FBD’s Michael Berkery, who went on to say, “It will be the Oscars of environmental farming, highlighting best practice in environmental sustainability while continuing to maintain output and profitability.”
The prize money for these awards is generous, at €30,000. The overall award winner will receive €10,000.
This competition is open to farmers from all of the main enterprises – dairy, beef, sheep and tillage. The closing date for entries is Thursday 29 February 2024. Farmers can apply for the awards at www.teagasc.ie/environmentawards.
The awards will be presented in October 2024. The overall sponsor of the awards is FBD Insurance, supported by the ICBF, Bord Bia and AgNav.
